That Same Color Blue
by AngeloftheMorning1978
Summary: Set fifteen years before the events of "Bates Motel". When Sam Bates drags his wife Norma and her two young sons to the town of White Pine Bay, the family is immediately met by Deputy Alex Romero who finds himself drawn to the headstrong young mother and the lives of her two boys. Warning. Very mild erotica. Nothing too graphic.
1. Chapter 1

Set fifteen years before the events of 'Bates Motel".

When Sam Bates drags his wife Norma and her two young sons to the town of White Pine Bay, the family is immediately met by Deputy Alex Romero.

Romero finds himself drawn to the headstrong young mother and the lives of her two boys.

When forced to make a split second decision, Alex changes Norma's life forever and he's forced to live with those consequences.

TEAM UNICORN LOVE FOREVER! This is for my Normero obsessed ladies on Instagram! Hope it helps! 3

 **That Same Color Blue**

1.

~ Norma bit hard on her bottom lip and imagined stabbing this man over and over agin. She thought about how the blood would feel coming out of his bloated, useless body. How it would be hot and thick and run freely through the open wounds. She smiled slightly at the thought of how easily he would bleed. Sam was on blood thinners for his heart so he would bleed out quickly. He would surely bleed to death before anyone could stop it.

The idea of her husband, so recently married, bleeding to death while she watched soothed Norma Bates. It soothed her in the same way hearing juicy gossip about someone she hated soothed her. A dark and tormented place in her mind where she was only really happy when she was miserable.

 _'_ _What would I do without you, Sam?'_ she mused happily. Her fat balding husband had pulled up his pants and was waddling over to the gas station to pay for their gas. It had rained non stop on them since they crossed the state line into Oregon and she hated the way the heavy wetness made her hair frizz. Added to that the stress of all day driving with two small children and very little money.

 _'_ _Well, I would collect all that life insurance you think I don't know about._ ' she thought with a giddy smile. _'I would buy new clothes to. Nice ones, from a pretty and expensive shop. Not these trailer park fashion line from the local discount store.'_

She liked the idea of being dressed well. In all her life she had never owned nice clothes. She was barely a woman before she was a mother. She was a wife before she even finished high school. She was a mistress before her first baby was walking. Now she was plotting murder before the age of 25. Such a life should be against the law. Or at the very least a movie of the week on cable.

She fell her heart sink a little.

"Coming this summer, Norma Bates: A Cautionary Tale". she said at her own reflection in the side mirror. She had been avoiding mirrors the whole trip. She, Sam and the two boys had been sleeping in the car to save money and the wear on her face was evident. She wasn't even into her mid twenties and she looked so haggard and worn down.

She stared at her own reflection for a while. Her dark roots were showing again, she would have to color them soon. Sam liked the blond because he thought it made her look like Marilyn Monroe. Norma disagreed. She thought it looked trashy. She didn't want to be trashy anymore. She looked over her face and caught her own sad blue eyes looking back at her. Norma had her mother's eyes and she was always told that her eyes were her best feature. Never her smile, because she never smiled. Never her body because of her shapeless cheap clothes, never her bottle blond hair. Her eyes were what set her apart. But the blue was always sad. Like a storm was coming on a high and lonely sea.

"Baby!" Sam shouted and Norma was forced out of her little world of storms and seas and eye color to see Sam hobbling to the old Buick. Her husband hoisted up his pants and grinned at her.

"Only an hour or so till we reach White Pine Bay." he said. His voice sounding like he had personally lead a wagon train through the mountains instead of getting lost twice to avoid toll roads on the main high way.

"Oh." Norma breathed. "Good." she glanced in the back seat at her sleeping boys.

Norman, good, sweet, perfect Norman, was asleep in his car seat. The two year old covered with the blanket she had made for him. His brown hair, soft as bird feathers, calling for Norma to smooth down. Her heart swelled at the sight of her boy. He was her own precious jewel. A beautiful creature that had grown inside of her and became the best thing she had ever done. At just two years old he was way ahead of the other kids. Norma was sure of that.

A sickly cough rumbled from beside Norma and she snapped her attention to her oldest child Dylan. The five year old glared at her with eyes that made her sick to her stomach. Dylan was his father in miniature and that wasn't a good thing. She recoiled away from her first born out of instinct. A self preservation she had learned when she was too young to know these horrible things. She avoided touching her oldest and couldn't help but glare at him.

The child, knowing he was unloved glared right back at her. His father's eyes accusing her. Hating her and wanting love from her she just couldn't give.

"Dylan, we're almost there." Norma said. Her voice cracked slightly.

It had started to rain again and the cab of the old Buick echoed each heavy rain drop and cast the sound out louder.

Norma hated this car. This old rusted piece of junk that Sam called his 'baby'. Sam's real baby, Norman, went without decent shoes and wore clothes too small. But there was always money for beer and parts for the Buick and trips to the strip club once a week.

 _'_ _When you're dead I'm getting myself a nice car._ ' Norma thought. She glared at her husband while he finished pumping the gas and climbed back inside.

"We'll be at the Seafairer Motel in no time." Sam said proudly. Norma could smell the drink on his breath. He had been brown bagging it all day. As if she were to stupid to notice.

"You're sure your friend has a job for you?" she asked nervously. She didn't want to worry Dylan with their money problems. Her oldest child always seemed like he knew too much. Dylan never talked when he was younger and Norma worried he might be retarded, given his paternity. But he scored above average on tests and eventually spoke whole sentences. Always wanting something he couldn't have and Norma couldn't give him.

"Keith Summers has a great job for us, baby." Sam said. Her husband was a little too happy. He must be loaded.

"Maybe I should drive." Norma offered.

"Shut up!" Sam snapped. His mood changing so face Norma felt her face burn hot from embarrassment.

She looked away from her husband and back to her own sad reflection. Her eyes the color of a violent tempest on the rise.

~ Deputy Alex Romero liked the night shift catching the speeders of White Pine Bay. He was good at it and he was ruthless in never letting anyone off with a warning. A night like this, the streets were wet and black from all this rain. It always made driving hard. It was only a matter of time before some asshole hit the slickest part of the road, spun out and killed everyone in the car. All because they had too much to drink or couldn't slow the hell down.

 _'_ _Where do these people have to be in such a damn hurry?'_ he wondered to himself. _'The Wal-Mart outside of town is open 24 hours now.'_

He almost smiled at his own joke, but Alex had given up smiling a long time ago. He had given up prayer to. He blinked hard at the idea of turning his back on praying. It felt like he had been slapped to remind himself he no longer believed in God.

His mother was the only person he knew who truly believed. She had taught him from an early age how to pray and how to let that special light into you heart and mind. When he was young, she would have him write down all his wishes in her little notebook at the kitchen table. She would have him write down all the bad things he wanted taken away to. How Bobby Paris had pushed him on the playground, and how fat Keith Summers and beat him up and spat in his face. His mother saying gently that they would grow up to be broken men. Her son would be a whole man.

Alex had always been closer to his mother than his father. His father, the former Sheriff of White Pine Bay, had been like a bear of law enforcement. Where he marched, lesser beings trembled and hid. The Former Sheriff Romero had a reputation and he let that reputation do most of the work. The old man's voice was soft and business like, just like Alex's, but the words that came out were like venom. Sheriff Romero could make even the hardest and tightest of drug gangs turn on each other in a matter of hours. With a confidant little smirk and telling the suspect what he feared most was happening. Crooks sang songs to old Bear.

But then, six years ago this summer, Alex had come to the house to take his mother to church and found she had taken a combination of someone else's sleeping pills and her own anxiety medication. Theresa Romero's son found her in bed. Her lips blue, her skin grey. She was beautiful in that moment of death. She looked just like she was sleeping. She hadn't thrown up in a final attempt to live. She had just gone to sleep and never woke up. Her blue lips curled into a delicate smile as she let go of life.

Alex's father had spent the night before at one of his many girlfriends. It was no secret he was unfaithful. It was even expected of a man like him to see other women while his saintly wife stayed at home. Alex knew his father was responsible for her death. He had done this to her just as surely as if he had killed her. Hell, the old bear probably gave her the pills and dared her to do it.

Alex shut his eyes at the memory of that summer day. He hated that memory. Hated the sunlight casting cheerful rays through the window of his mother's bedroom. Hated that the ambulance was so slow. Hated the looks his neighbors gave him when her body, wrapped in that black body bag was wheeled out of their home. Hated how his father didn't even know about his wife's death till hours later.

Rather than show emotion, Alex let his face remain indifferent. He sipped his coffee and read over his homework from class. He was in the final home stretch of exams to a promotion. Despite everything, Alex had done extremely well as a cop. A military background, honorable discharge, a bronze star for bravery in the Gulf War. As a civilian he shocked no one when he went to the academy. Aced every test, every physical and been promoted to sharp shooter. Hell, even the FBI wanted to recruit him.

But Alex wanted to stay in his home town. Where the people were horrible, but the fishing was good. Not everyone was horrible in White Pine Bay of course. Just the vast majority of the people Alex knew. He had a dream of burning them all to the ground. Scorching the earth of all the bad things till nothing but good things grew. A silly dream. Alex knew there was no such thing as good and bad; there was only winners and losers. The winners decided who the good guys were. That's the cold hard facts of life.

When the Old Bear Sheriff Romero was arrested three years ago for drug trafficking, corruption, murder and a laundry list of other charges, is seemed like the town had turned itself inside out, trying desperately to save itself from disaster. Alex survived the carnage of the FBI investigation that gutted the towns drug trade and made room for new bosses to push themselves in. They had nothing on the young cop anyway. Even if he was the Sheriff's kid, it was painfully obvious Alex wasn't the kind of man bad guys trusted. During the raids and arrests, Alex had gotten used to old friends talking to him for no reason after so many years of indifference. Their voices louder than normal and asking leading questions about the drug trade or someone's murder. It always meant they were wearing a wire and trying to trap him into confessing something. Alex saw them coming a mile away and got to where it was a game after a while.

'Oh so and so was doing that all this time? Wow, I had no idea.' he would say with wide eyed innocence.

Such behavior saved his career and kept him free of any charges, but it didn't earn him many friends. Which was fine with him.

He leaned back in his seat and re-read the paragraph about misdirection. The cleverness of it appealed to him. He pictured himself using all these techniques in an interrogation someday. His voice would be calm and steady just like the Bear of White Pine Bay and he could hold his own on reputation alone to.

Not that Alex wanted to be like his father. The opposite in fact. Alex desired to dismantle his own father's legacy and make sure the old man knew it was his only son who had taken apart the web of crime and power he had helped build and protect.

Alex saw dimmed headlights cresting the turn from his cozy speed trap. He closed his book and judged the rate those headlights were coming in was too fast.

He felt mild annoyance at the recklessness of the driver. It was pouring outside and his headlights were too old to properly light the rain slicked street. Plus there were patches of road that the rain loved to flood. All of which could cause the car to hydroplane into a ditch. Alex turned on the engine, waited till he could hear the sound of the older car, and allowed it to fly past him.

Alex clocked the car going over 80 in a 55 mile an hour zone and was quick to follow. The lights from the police SUV flashing and sirens blaring behind a battered old Buick.


	2. Chapter 2

2.

~ "Mom?" Dylan's voice was fragile over the sound of the rain and the approaching police siren.

"Fuck." Sam said bitterly. The old Buick slowed, but weaved into the other lane, its driver trying to regain control on the wet road.

"Sam, watch it!" Norma shouted. She knew she shouldn't nag. Her mother alway told her not to nag a man, but she couldn't help herself. The Buick almost skidded out and she imagined all of them dead.

"Shut up!" Sam roared. His voice now sharp and angry.

"Slow down! The cop is pulling us over!" Norma snapped back. She glanced back at Norman. Her youngest son was awake and staring back at her. His eyes wide with fear and he was looking at her to see how to act.

"It's okay, honey." Norma said in a falsely sweet voice.

"Bitch, look what you did!" Sam shouted and Norma felt his hands grab her hair and yank her head back.

The Buick swerved dangerously into the other lane again. Norma could feel the tires run over raised reflectors and braced herself for the impact of a guard rail. But Sam swerved the car again, letting go of her hair at the same time. She felt her body being pushed back in her seat from the force of Sam's driving and was thankful her seatbelt was on. Sam seemed intent on ignoring the cop car until he reached another run down gas station and casually pulled to a stop.

Norma held her breath. She knew what was coming. She hadn't been married to him for long, but she knew what was going to happen next.

"Look what you did!" Sam shouted and the slap he delivered across her face brought tears to her eyes. She didn't mean to start crying. It was so many days of driving. So many years of never feeling secure that made her start to weep with long anguished cries.

"Shut up. I swear to God, Norma." Sam said angrily. "I'm gonna go talk to this asshole."

"Mot-er?" Norman's little voice called out to her. Sam's big body hoisted itself out of the car without turning off the engine. With his departure, Norma felt the tension ease. She quickly locked the doors behind him. A mother's instinct to keep her children safe.

Sadness and fear had turned into rage now. Norma wiped her eyes and turned around in her seat to watch her idiot husband stumbling over to the flashing lights of the cop car. She may be stupid like Sam was always accusing her of, but she knew better than to get out of the car without the cop telling you to do so. She hoped he wouldn't get arrested. They had no money left and Norma had no way back to Arizona if they lost their only means of support. Sam wasn't good for much, but he knew their contact for this new job. Norma had never been on her own before and she was afraid to be alone with the two boys.

Norma couldn't look away from the figure approaching her husband. The headlights from the police SUV created a glare but she could still make out a tall, trim figure with a hand on the butt of his side arm. She caught her breath when she realized he was ready to shoot the drunk man dead. It would be easier if Sam were shot and killed tonight. All that life insurance from an old lawsuit would be Norma's and the boys. She would be okay with enough money. She felt that wonderful wash of hate rush over her. It must be what the powerful feel like when they do cruel things and can get away with it. It was a hatred that made her feel beautiful.

 _'_ _Oh and if you die, Sam?_ ' she thought with a sinister wish _'I won't EVER remarry.'_

~ Deputy Alex Romero had to wonder what kind of special idiot would jump out of his car and approach an armed cop after swerving into the opposing lane twice. Was he looking to get shot? Alex wasn't afraid to shot a man if need be. He had done it before in the Gulf War, and it never phased him, but he hoped he wouldn't have to put three bullets in this drunk over a traffic stop.

It was pouring down rain, but the weather didn't bother Romero much. He had grown up in this town and the heavy rain was just something you got used to. He could see the suspect's red blood shot eyes already. Drunks behind the wheel were the worst. There was no excuse for them. They were always dangerous.

"Sir, I'm gonna have to ask you to stop where you are." Alex said in a calm voice. His hand went instinctively to his side arm while his eyes never left the beefy man marching towards him without slowing down. The suspect was unarmed, but Alex knew he was ready for a fight.

"You just had to try and pull me over, you prick!" the man shouted.

It ended quickly.

The driver stepped too close, and the Deputy reacted instantly. Alex grabbed the man's hand before he had made a fist, pushed the suspect in the back and pulled his arm behind him. The cuffs came out, and made a satisfying clacking noise as they clicked into place. The beefy man, now realizing what was happening tried to pull away, but Alex already had the advantage. The Deputy was too fast and too strong for him at any rate. In a second, Alex had the suspect on his knees and pushed his screaming face into the gravel of the parking area. The man started to cry and moan when Alex made the cuffs a little too tight just for spite.

Romero finally looked up at the old Buick and saw a woman leaning behind the passenger seat staring back at him. Her blond hair was hanging limply down past her shoulders. Her pale face was expressionless in the light of the police car's high beams. Alex was never sure why afterwards, such a thing had never happened to him before, but her eyes caught his attention. They were just so… bright. Like they shone brighter than anything there that horrible night.

"Bitch!" the suspect was shouting. "You fucking bitch come over here and help me!"

Alex was pulled away from staring at the blond woman and glanced down at his suspect. He realized then that the blond woman had to be with this guy. How disappointing.  
"Ma'am, I need you to stay in the car." Alex said calmly. His voice was raised only enough to be heard over the rain. Alex didn't yell. He only yelled when he had to and he wasn't there yet.

He saw the woman nod at him. Her mouth parting slightly and her face showing real worry. She watched Alex force the unruly driver to his feet. The deputy was took a firmer hold of the man's arm than necessary and hoped it hurt him.  
"Get off you, you… get off!" the man shouted. His speech was still badly slurred. Alex made sure to push his suspect to one side and over correct him to the other. Throwing him off balance enough to keep a firm control.

"Watch your head." Romero said cooly. With very little effort, he shoved the beefy man into the back of his SUV. "Don't puke in my cab." he added dryly. He didn't know what it was about cop cars. Drunks loved to throw up in them.

Alex was breathing hard when he was finally able to refocus his attention on the passenger of the Buick. He reminded himself to be calm. He took a deep breath, pulled out his fast light and called in the out of state plates on his personal radio. Dispatch gave a garbled message to hold and Alex took the time to walk closer to the car. The woman still hadn't moved. She struck Alex like a rabbit caught in the headlights. He shone the flash light beam into the cab of the old car and was surprised to see the young boys sitting calmly in the back seat.

It was well past midnight. Why were these children in a car with a drunk driver instead of at home asleep. It was a school night after all.

Although, as he looked closer, maybe they were still to young for school. He tapped on the window with the end of the flashlight and the blond woman rolled it down a few inches so the rain wouldn't totally breech the interior.  
"Ma'am, are you alright?" Alex asked. He shone the light on the woman's face. She seemed to grow paler from the question. He spotted redness around her eyes, but thought it might be from crying. Her stare was too focused to be intoxicated. Her blond hair was messed, but she was quickly smoothing it down. Her hands trying to clear her face, trying to look presentable if such a thing were possible. She looked scared and nervous to be in such a situation. Her eyes, still so bright in a world of drabness, were all he kept wanting to focus on.

~ Norma found it hard to breathe. She had watched Sam get his ass handed to him like it was nothing. The part of her that still loved him felt outraged that this cop had arrested her husband and treated him so bad. Even if Sam deserved it.

"Are you or the children hurt?" the cop asked. His eyes looked like they were taking in every detail of their situation. They no doubt saw the peeling paint of the car, the rusted bumper, the family's shabby clothes and the expensive stereo Sam put in when they got their tax money back a few months ago.

"Um…." Norma said. That cop was looking at her now. His focus was like a drill bit. Waiting for her to say something stupid so she would be arrested with Sam.

She looked at Norman and took a deep breath for courage.

"Yes, officer." she said with a halfhearted smile. "I mean no! No, we're all fine."

He didn't look away from her. He was waiting for her to say more. But Norma couldn't think of anything to add. She had learned the hard way never to share information. Even if it's to get help. People would always hold it agist you if you told them about bad things that happened. Even if it wasn't your fault. Never tell people about your troubles. They would just use it to hurt you.

That cop was looking at her again. Willing her to say something. His face was cold and he showed no signs of wanting to be friendly or even compassionate to her. Finally, he rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"I had to arrest the driver of this car. He was violent." the cop said.

Norma nodded and swallowed hard.

The cop waited for her to say something.

"He was swerving on the road. He was agitated. Did he hurt you or the boys, ma'am?" he asked

Norma shook her head.

"No." she said. 'No. Sam never hurts us."

She put her fingers to her lips as soon as the words left her mouth. How could she lie for Sam? He wasn't worth lying for. But she didn't want anyone to think she was an abused wife.

The cop looked at her curiously. His jaw working as if he were chewing gum. The two of them kept their eyes locked for what felt like a long time. She knew that he didn't believe her. But she couldn't tell him the truth. She didn't want to be that kind of woman. The kind someone had to protect because she was stupid enough to marry a bully.

"Where are you headed?" the cop asked at last.

"To White Pine Bay. We-" Norma explained.

"Why at night? All this rain is dangerous." the cop interrupted rudely.  
"A job offer. We had to be there by-"

"What job offer?" the cop interrupted again.

"A friend of my-" Norma started to say but didn't want to admit that Sam was her husband. "A man named Keith Summers offered us a job running a small motel."

"Keith Summers?" the cop questioned.

"Yes."

"How does your husband know Summers?"

"He never said." Norma said with a shaky voice.

"How well do they know each other?" he asked coldly.

Norma had to search for an answer. She eventually shrugged. The cop looked unhappy.

"Where are you from?" he asked.

"Arizona." Norma said sadly.

He nodded and pulled away when his radio blared with the chatter of a dispatcher that Norma couldn't hear. She looked nervously at the boys and they looked back at her with scared little faces. She nodded at them and tried to smile. Dylan didn't believe her, naturally, but Norman seemed comforted. Norma watched the police officer standing by their car. It was pouring rain over him and he didn't even have a hat on. Still, he seemed unconcerned by the horrible weather. She felt nervous around this man for some reason. Like he had some kind of vision that showed him all her secrets. Norma buttoned her cardigan closer to her neck and wished she was someplace safe and warm.

"Sam Bates." the cop interrupted her thoughts. His flashlight was out again and he was shining the beam back at her and boys.

"Yes." Norma said sadly.  
"What was your name?" the cop asked.

"Me? I'm Norma Bates. I'm… well I'm his wife."

"Are these yours?" he asked. The light's beam was tickling over Dylan and Norman. The boys looking scared at the idea that maybe they were in trouble to.

"Yes." she answered.

"Well, Mrs. Bates." he sighed. "I'm afraid your husband has a failure to appear in court notice back in Arizona and a bench warrant has been issued."

Norma couldn't understand what he was saying.  
"A warrant? Wait, for what?" she question.  
"They didn't say." he told her indifferently. "He's going to be held over night. Do you and the boys have a place to go? Any family meeting you in White Pine Bay?"

"No." Norma admitted. Her heart was beating hard. What was going to happen to them? "We were supposed to meet this Keith Summers person tonight."

"Your husband can still meet him." the cop said casually. "Keith Summers was arrested earlier tonight for a drunken disorderly."


	3. Chapter 3

3.

~ The woman, Norma Bates, had followed Alex's SUV to the police station. He had suggested they get a hotel room for the night; yet stopped short of recommending the one Keith Summers owned. Alex had heard too many rumors about it. The place was probably haunted from who knows what kind of bad things happened there since it was built in the 60's.

However, this woman was instant there had been a mistake and Sam didn't have any warrants. She didn't want to entertain the idea of a hotel room and was intent on finding out what had happened.

Romero barely had time to guide the latest addition to the drunk tank in for booking before this woman, who walked faster than anyone he ever saw, was marching up to the front desk and demanding answers.

"Sam Bates? What's the bench warrant for? He was off probation after he hurt his back at work." she told the poor girl at the front desk.

"I'm sorry, Ma'am." the girl said. "It says failure to appear before a judge. Doesn't say what for."

"Well, can't you call someone? Isn't that what they're on call for?" Mrs. Bates demanded.

Alex handed over his arrest to the always eager rookie Zach Shelby. The pretty boy was barely out of high school and made Romero want to punch him in his perfect face.

Alex looked back at the brewing situation of Mrs. Bates and her two boys. The youngest, a small, thin boy with bright blue eyes like hers was cradled effortlessly on her hip. Clearly the child could walk and stand but Mrs. Bates preferred to hold him close. Probably so he wouldn't wander off like kids do.

The older boy was seemingly ignored by his mother altogether. He was looking over the wanted pictures on the board with great interest. No doubt enraptured by the composite sketches of dangerous criminals. It struck Alex how different the boys were. The younger looked much more well cared for. His hair was dry and he was in matching pajamas with little house shoes to keep him warm. The older boy had gotten caught in the rain when coming inside. His hair was soaked and his clothes, not suitable for the cooler climate, were dark from the rain. At this time of night, the police station was run by a skeletal staff and the girl at the front desk. Normally it was the weekly DWI or the domestic disturbances that kept them busy. None of them were used to this visitor and her endless questions.

Alex took it upon himself to intervene and spare the poor receptionist, who honestly knew as much about Sam Bates as his wife.

"Mrs. Bates," he interrupted. His hand subconsciously came within an inch of her lower back before he pulled away. It felt like a natural thing to do when she stood so close to him. His body wanted to fit so neatly next to this stranger who's husband he just arrested. Alex shook the idea from his mind and cleared his throat.

She turned to him, and he was startled again by her eyes. It wasn't just her eyes this time, but her flawless skin, soft lips and slight figure. Alex took a second, just one, to drink in her looks. She wasn't even thirty yet. He was sure she was not many years younger than himself. She looked tired though and ready to be angry and hurt. Her hair was wet from the rain, no doubt she had been trying to keep her youngest child dry. But her wet hair didn't detract from the fact that she cut a very elegant picture. What was a woman like this doing married to a man like Sam Bates? It didn't fit. The old car, the cheap clothes, the two children who she must have had quite young to still look as good as she did.

Her features looked like they should belong to a sorority girl at prestigious college. Or to the wife of some elected official. She didn't fit in with the trashy vibe Alex gleamed off Sam Bates. She obviously didn't belong to the same crowd as Keith Summers either.  
"Mrs. Bates, why don't you have a seat in the waiting room?" Alex suggested at last. "There's a couch in there. Maybe the boys can get some sleep. It's late, they shouldn't still be up."

Mrs. Bates looked offended that Alex had called into question her parenting. But her face seemed ready made to be a little angry.

Alex sensed she was about to tell him off and decided to beat her to it. He was eager to avoid this woman snapping at him,

"As soon as I'm done I'll be in to talk to you about your husband." he promised.

She seemed appeased by this, and glanced over to the lonely waiting area with a big comfortable couch.

Alex tried not to look back at the three woeful souls in the waiting area, but he caught their reflection in one of the dark windows and didn't look away. She was putting the youngest down to sleep on the couch. The oldest looking at her curiously for what was happening. Alex felt something inside him shift when he saw this woman run a hand over her youngest child's hair. He remembered how his own mother used to do that. Her hands were always smoothing down her child's unruly hair. Maybe it was something all mothers did to their children. A primal instinct that couldn't be learned.

Alex looked away from the reflection and started on the arrest report.

~ Alex didn't mind the paper work. He kept his sentence short and to the fact. He never embellished and didn't have to think too long to remember what had happened. He had never been plagued with guilt for an arrest. He never question if it was unjustified. Sam Bates had been about to hit him, Alex was well within the law to arrest him. The fact there was a bench warrant always made it sweeter. Alex read over the cause of the warrant and wasn't surprised. Sam Bates had a long history with the police.

A squeak from close by brought Alex back to focus on his surroundings. He looked up from his paper work to see the oldest child of Mrs. Bates looking at him. Alex glanced into the waiting area for the boys mother, and saw she had nodded off on the couch with her youngest in her arms. The two of them looked especially peaceful together.

Alex looked back at the forgotten boy and tried to think of something to say.  
"Busy night." he said at last. The boy said nothing and looked with interest at the trinkets on Alex's desk. Romero followed the boy's gaze from his coffee mug to the cup of pens and pencils, to the stapler. He was a little sadden to realize he had nothing to distract a child of this age. Alex was a boring adult.

"Afraid I don't get many visitors your age." Romero admitted. The boy didn't move, but his eyes were still looking for something that might be interesting. His fingers crept to the edge of the desk. The child's eyes almost pleading for attention even if it was boring.

"Unless you like fishing." Alex realized.

The boy looked at him. Clearly fishing wasn't exciting to him and Alex knew he would have to sell it.  
"We do a lot of that here. See?" the deputy said with an easy smile on the subject of his favorite hobby. He opened a desk draw and took out an envelope of photos from all his fishing trips over the years.

Sheriff Wilson was a great fisherman and often wanted Alex to join him. The two of them never talked work, or even about anything at all. Fishing for them was like a religion and was always done in silence. It was enough, in Alex's mind that the Sheriff liked and respected him to invite him on these day trips. Words weren't needed.

"Ten pound catch last year. I won an award." Alex said and showed the boy the impressive catch. Alex and Sheriff Wilson were all smiles as they held up the beauty for the camera.

"You eat them?" the boy asked skeptically. His little face pulling into a look of disgust.  
"Of course." Alex laughed. "You don't like fish?"

The boy shook his head.

"When I was you age my Dad's friends took me out on the lake all the time." Alex said. "It was a lot of fun."

"On a boat?" the boy whispered with bright eyes.

"A big boat." Alex corrected.

"How big?"

Alex smiled but he remembered those fishing trips a little too fondly. How Bob Paris would always consider his presence on the fancy boat more of a charity case. How Alex was the only one without his dad there to see him catch anything.

"Big enough for all my friends and their dad's." Alex said truthfully, but with a forced cheerfulness.

"Your dad takes you fishing on a boat?" the boy asked eagerly. "Do you take your little boy on the boat?"

Alex was about to explain that no his father never took him out on a boat and how he didn't even have a girlfriend let alone a wife or son.

He would have said that, but Mrs. Bates had appeared out of nowhere.

"Shh! Dylan! You leave the police man alone! Go sleep on the couch next to Norman and look after him." she hissed. Her face worried and angry again.

"But the boat." The boy, Dylan, pleaded.

"It's okay, son." Alex said gently. "We can talk fishing later."

Dylan looked bitterly at his mother before leaving them.

Alex glanced over at Mrs. Bates. She was glaring at her oldest son and making sure he joined his younger brother on the couch to try and sleep.

"Norman?" Alex asked.

Mrs. Bates snapped her head back at him. Her expression tense.  
"What about him?" she asked quickly.

Alex shrugged.

"Your son's name. Norman… and Norma." he said. It was an odd, old fashion choice of names for the both of them. He expected a woman with the name Norma to be a grandmother in her eighties. Not someone so young and clearly out of place here.

"What about it?" Mrs. Bates asked. Her tone slightly hurt by him questioning her naming practice.

"It's just… unusual." Alex admitted. He waited for her to become offended, but she seemed indifferent. Maybe she had had this argument too often to be upset.  
"Boys are named after their father's all the time." she said.

Alex was about to suggest that naming her son Norman would certainly teach him to fight, but thought better of it. He wasn't vicious enough to be hurtful for no reason.

Alex Romero only bit when provoked.

"So what was the bench warrant for?" she asked.

Alex waved to a little chair beside his desk and she sat down next to him. Her knees almost touching his leg in the cramped office space. He neatly collected the pictures he had been showing her son and put them back in the drawer. He made sure he didn't look her in the eyes longer than he needed to. He found himself liking her eyes far too much.

"Mrs. Bates." he started to say.  
"Norma." she corrected. "Please, just be honest with me. We've sunk every last dime we have into this move and we can't afford to lose this job."

Alex sucked in his breath. He didn't care for Keith Summers and wanted to warn this slender, pretty woman about how disgusting her future boss was. But Sam had to come first.

"Norma." he said instead. "Sam was arrested two weeks ago for solicitation."

It wasn't easy to say and when Alex finally turned to look her in the eyes, he saw they had almost changed color. They brightness of them was gone, and they were now ice cold. The shade of blue struck him as familiar, but he couldn't place where.

Her face and jawline were set hard and her skin flushed a slight pink. She looked ready to explode.

"Hookers?" she whispered.

Alex nodded.

"I know this isn't easy to hear." he admitted.

She turned away from him and he took the opportunity to glance down at her figure. His eyes stealing a sinful peek at the well shaped legs in a tan skirt that would have been fine for the heat of Arizona, but was poor protection from the cold spring of Oregon.

"Mrs. Ba-, Norma." Alex was surprised to find himself stuttering slightly. "Is there anyone we can call for you? Your family maybe? We can help arrange to call them."

She shook her head.

"No. There's no one." she said sadly. Her voice seemed to have deflated. All that fire was slowly dying away. She looked ready to pass out. Alex instinctively reached out and took hold of her arm when she swayed in her seat.

"I'm alright." she whispered.

She looked back at him and he saw tears in her eyes. The blue was like the evening sky after a big storm had passed. When the air was so clean and perfect, it reminded Alex of what true beauty was.

"Are you sure?" she asked hopefully. Her slight body crumpling from the news her husband had done such a thing. "Maybe it was a mistake. Another Sam Bates?"

Alex released her arm and turned back to his computer, He punched in Sam's name and up came his mug shot and full arrest record.

"This was his third offense for solicitation." Alex said. It was better that Norma hear the truth. A bitter pill is best swallowed quickly.

"He's going back to Arizona?" she asked. Her voice dulled by the news.

"As soon as the Marshals come." Alex nodded. "They'll do prisoner transport."

Secretly, Romero thought it was for the best that this woman knew the horrible truth. He hadn't skipped over anything on the report of Sam Bates.

"I saw there was a lot of complaints about… that the police… that they were called to your former residence a few times over the past year." Alex managed to get out. His voice betraying him with that stutter he normally never got.

Norma Bates nodded and refused to look at him.

"We were trying to put that behind us." she said softly. She looked so pale and fragile at that moment. Like her whole world was breaking.

"He was abusive?" Alex asked gently. "Did he ever hurt the boys?"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore." Norma said. Her voice was close to tears but she looked too exhausted to cry.

Alex leaned away from her. He had wanted her to know the truth. He had wanted her to know just what kind of man Sam Bates truly was. He didn't want her to be fooled into staying with someone who would hurt her. But Alex sensed that he had pushed too far. That she was about to break apart from the strain.

"This was supposed to be our fresh start." Norma said coldly. "What do we do now?"


	4. Chapter 4

4.

~ Alex wasn't sure why he felt so guilty. No one ever made him feel guilty for anything. He was a cop, he had a job to do and he heard a thousand sad stories a thousand times from the same people who should know he didn't care.

But Norma Bates. Her comment pricked him hard enough to draw blood. He felt sorry for her and not just because she was in an abusive marriage. It wasn't just because of her small children who seemed so helpless and lost. He'd developed a callous to situations like hers. He'd seen women with her story before. Blind to the fact that they were treated so poorly. Too scared to do anything alone so they tolerated the abuse and infidelity if it meant some level of security. All so they could keep the man who hurt them.

Alex pushed the idea that his mother had been no different out of his mind. It had already been a long night with too many complications.  
"Do you and the boys have place to stay tonight?" he asked.

Norma nodded quickly.  
"The motel Keith Summers owns." she said quickly. "Sam told me that we would be provided with a room."

Alex felt himself tense at the mention of Keith Summers again.

"But he's in jail to." she said. Her voice rich with sarcasm. Norma let out a long sigh and Alex decided to do something he never did.

Be a white knight.

"Summer's place is a little run down." Alex said casually. "A buddy of mine owns the hotel outside of town. The rooms are a lot nicer than Keith Summers place."

Norma looked at him questioningly.

"That's okay." she said. Her voice was flat and without emotion.  
"Why?" Alex asked. "What do you plan to do?"

Norma shook her head and refused to look at him.  
"We really don't have the money for a room." she said in an embarrassed whisper. Her face flushing slightly.

"Well, that's where my buddy comes in. His kid almost got arrested last week for pot and I let him go. If I ask, he can give you and the boys a room for a few nights." Alex explained.

Norma looked at him questioningly. Her eyes skeptical.  
"It's just for a few nights. Until we can figure out what to do." he explained.

Alex looked around the nearly empty police station. He and Norma were in no danger of being overheard.

"I'd stay away from Keith Summers." he said in a conspiratorial whisper.

"Why?" she asked. her eyes bright with interest.

Alex shook his head. He was violating another unspoken law of this town. Never talk to an outsider about people like Keith Summers.

"He's not a good guy." he explained at last.

Norma Bates pulled away from him slightly. Her gaze never leaving his. He sensed she didn't believe him at first. But soon acceptance darkened her features.

"It's always my luck." she admitted. "I never meet a good guy."

~ The rain never stopped in this town. Norma had followed Deputy Romero through the darkened, but picture perfect little community to a large motel on the other side of town. She sat in the run down Buick and watched him go inside, talk to the office manger and come out with a set of keys.

"It's the slow season. It's your's till the end of the week. No charge." the Deputy explained when she parked the Buick outside of room 1. Norma hurried out of the car and gratefully took the room key from him.

She nodded but couldn't make her voice work. She looked back at him, trying to express relief only to find him looking at her as if he'd done something wrong. His face was lined with worry when he should be feeling smug for helping the poor desperate woman and her two children.

"Thank you." she said at last. She meant it to. Meant it more than she had ever meant those words before.

"Mrs. Bates, there's going to be a social worker coming to see you tomorrow." the Deputy explained carefully.

"What? Why?" Norma barked. The last thing she wanted was some government worker poking around her family and asking questions.

"Everything you told me tonight." the deputy said. His face apologetic but he refused to back down. "Your situation isn't good. There are small children to think of."

Norma immediately thought of this social worker coming for her boys. Taking both of them away and into some foster home. Her blood boiled at the idea. How dare the cop call social services.

"Her name is Sybil Lawson and she'll help you either get back to Arizona or come up with a plan for you and the boys." the Deputy continued. "She's very good at keeping families together you need to trust me on this."

"She won't try to put the boys in a foster home?" Norma demanded.

The Deputy shook his head.

"It won't come to that. What happened tonight wasn't your fault. They only take kids away if there is clear signs of neglect." he assured her.

Norma looked at her boys. Dylan was in the front seat and watching the both of them. He didn't seem angry or upset which was new for him. His face was actually calm for once. Norman was mercifully asleep in his booster seat again. Tonights troubles not able to touch him because of his age.

Deputy Romero followed her gaze and nodded to Dylan.

"Your oldest is a good kid." he said at last. It was small talk, she knew that, but he sounded sincere.

"Dylan." she said. "I hope he's going to be a good kid."

"I'll come by after a while and check on you. On all of you." The Deputy said awkwardly. "If you want. Make sure everything is okay."

Norma turned to him, but he wasn't looking at her. He seemed to be focused on something far off in the distance. Avoiding eye contact.  
"Alright." she said.

The Deputy nodded.

"Better get the kids to bed." he ordered and stepped out of the protective breezeway and back to his patrol SUV.

Norma took a moment to let her thoughts settle. She watched the tail light of Deputy Romero's flash and fade away in the rain.

~ "I'm hungry." Dylan moaned after Norma had given her youngest his bath.

Norman was already asleep in one of the two queen size beds. Her oldest child avoiding bath time at all costs.

"I'll make you a peanut butter sandwich while you're in the tub." she whispered to him. "But it's bath time."

She pulled his shirt off and was sad to discover he had gotten soaked from all the rain. If she had been a better mother Dylan would have stayed dry tonight.

She kissed the top of his head and felt how dry his hair was. Something so familiar from her childhood, hair just like this. A face just like this. She so rarely gave Dylan any affection that her oldest child looked up at her in surprise.

"Are we going to go fishing?" Dylan asked.

Norma laughed for the first time in weeks.

"Fishing?" she asked "Why would you think that?"

"That police man said he goes fishing all the time." Dylan explained.

Norma finished running the bath water for him.

"I bet he does." she agreed.

"On a boat. The dads here… they all take their boys out on boats all the time." Dylan explained excitedly.

Norma felt a pain of real pity for her oldest. Sam never cared to be a step father to him and his real dad wasn't terribly interested in the boy either. She knew Dylan was jealous of the other little boys in the neighborhood who had fathers who did things with them. Dylan was always interested in that world of man culture. Her son was so eager to join the ranks of car repair, hunting and sports. A language she could never speak and translate for him as just a mother.

"That sounds fun," she admitted.  
"Yeah. I think it would be fun." Dylan agreed.

Her oldest kept his thoughts to himself for the rest of bath time. When he got out Norma helped him change, and fed him a sandwich. When she put him to bed beside Norman, he hugged her before being tucked in. Another show of affection from him she wasn't used to.

"Is Sam coming back?" he whispered.

Norma bit her lip.  
"No. Not this time." she said softly. Her voice low so that Norman wouldn't wake up.

"I'm glad." Dylan admitted.

"Me to." she told him.

"Are we going to live here?" he asked.

"Not forever." she promised. "A few days."

"Then what?" he asked.

Maybe it was affection from her oldest. Maybe it was the kindness of Deputy Romero, or Sam being gone. Maybe it was just knowing she was safe indoors with all this rain.

"I'm going to get us a job in the morning and we can get our own place." she told him confidently. "Before you start kindergarten." She promised.

"We're not going back to Arizona?" Dylan asked.

Norma shook her head.

"No." she smiled.

"We can take Norman fishing." Dylan offered helpfully. "That police man will show us how."

"Honey, I doubt we'll see him again." she laughed but kissed him on the forehead. "But we're going to be just fine as long as we're all together."

~ Dylan was asleep soon and Norma took a long hot bath. It felt good to be in emerged in the warm water. Her body relaxing, but her mind hard at work.

 _'_ _If Deputy Romero is right, the social worker can help me find a job. Maybe ever free child care. That's what's really important right now._ ' she mused.

She let herself soak deeper into the hot water.

' _A nice job thats respectable and one where I can still take care of the boys. We can get our own place. We don't need much. Never did._ ' she decided.

She did some quick math in her head. She would need to have a decent downpayment for an apartment when her time was up here. She wasn't sure how she was going to save up enough for first and last months rent. Let alone things like the security deposit to get the power on. How could she save that much and keep them going in just a week?

' _Don't think about it now_.' she told herself. ' _Too many awful things have happened and you're too tired to work this out. In the morning, things will be better._ ' she told herself.

It seemed like good advice and she got out of the tub, dried off and dressed for bed. It was heaven to sleep in a real bed again. She loved it even more without Sam's large body next to her. She watched her boys sleeping and promised herself tomorrow would be better.

"It will be better, boys." she whispered into the darkness. "It was bad tonight, but it's not forever."

 **Sorry for the shorter chapter. Just finished watching the season 4 finale of "Bates Motel". I'm heartbroken! Im just devastated!**

 **But, tomorrow it will be better. Bad things never last forever and we would never really appreciate the good things if we didn't remember the bad.**


	5. Chapter 5

5.

~ Sybil Lawson turned out to be a short, grumpy looking woman in her mid sixties who chained smoked and wore large bake light glasses from the seventies. Norma almost started laughing when she answered the motel room door the next morning. She wasn't expecting to see such an odd little woman so early.

It was soon apparent that Miss Lawson wasn't comical at all.

"Little Bear called me this morning and told me what happened." Sybil grumbled as a way of greeting. "So here I am. Are you Norma Bates?"

Norma looked her new social worker up and down, saw she didn't look mean at all, and wouldn't try and take the boys away.  
"Yes. I'm Norma." she said at last.

"I'm Sybil Lawson." she said and waved the other woman to join her on the deserted motel porch. The older woman promptly started smoking. "Lets talk a little where so the boys won't hear. Best to never involve kids in adult problems."

Norma nodded, peeked in at Dylan and Norman watching cartoons, and closed the door behind her. It had stopped raining and the morning air smelled clean, but heavy with still more rain to come. The two women sat on the nearby porch chairs to talk about Norma's situation

"Now, Alex said your husband was arrested last night and he's being extradited back to Arizona where the original arrest happened." Sybil said after taking a long drag off her cigarette.

"I'm sorry, but who is Alex?" Norma asked. She felt completely lost just now.

Sybil looked at her in surprise before smiling with nicotine stained teeth.  
"Deputy Alex Romero, dear." she explained. "He's the Grumpy Gus who arrested your husband last night. All us old timers around here just call him Little Bear. His father used to be Sheriff and he was the Big Bear. Alex is his son and so that made him Little Bear."

Norma nodded.

"I see. Yes, of course." she said quickly.  
"Now, I understand you have safe lodging for the next few days for you and the boys. What I need to know is what your plans are. Do you plan to take yourself and the boys back to Arizona to be with your husband?" Sybil asked.

Norma flushed. She knew Miss Lawson meant well, but it felt like judgment when she asked if she planned to return to the man who had obviously been so bad for her.

"No. I don't want to go back to Arizona." Norma said at last.

Sybil nodded and took another drag.

"Do you have any family nearby? Any friends who can offer some kind of support?" the social worker asked. The older woman was filing out some paper work on a note pad. Her large glasses making her look almost bug like.

"No." Norma said.  
"No family? No brothers or sisters? Are your parents able to help you?" Sybil asked.

Norma shook her head.  
"I haven't seen my parents since before my oldest son was born." she explained. She felt a sharp pain in her heart to think about her parents.

"No chance they would want to help you?" Sybil asked gently.

Norma shook her head.  
"My dad was pretty violent and my mother was… well she was sick a lot." she explained.

"I understand." Sybil said and made a little note.

"If I thought they could help me, I would have gone to them years ago." Norma said quickly.

Sybil nodded but said nothing.  
Norma felt anxious in the middle of the silence. Her social worker looking over notes and police records.  
"Mrs. Bates, I see you've never applied for any kind of public assistance." Sybil said at last.

Norma shook her head.

"No food stamps, no housing benefits, nothing?" Sybil asked in disbelief.

"No. Sam wouldn't have liked that and I never felt we were that bad off." Norma explained. She couldn't tell this woman she was always too proud to apply for welfare.

"Well, you're going to have to start now. I can push through your application for food subsides and emergency housing. It's off season here in White Pine Bay so we should be able to negotiate the rent price. It's best if I do that." Sybil added cooly. "I can negotiate better than anyone."

"An apartment?" Norma questioned. Sybil looked up at her with her bug like eyes.

"I didn't misunderstand you, did I?" she asked. "You want to stay here in White Pine Bay, right?"

"Yes." Norma said quickly. "I mean, we were planning to live here anyway for Sam's job."

"Alex mentioned something about Keith Summers." Sybil said with a huff.

"My husband was offered a job at his motel. It's why we came up here." Norma explained.

"I'm going to be honest with you and give you some very practical advice." Sybil said. Her tone was hard and Norma leaned away.

"Stay away from Keith Summers and his business. He's into some bad shit." Sybil said.

Norma felt her mouth fall open in surprise at the old woman cursing.  
"If you want to work, I can find you something here in town. We can get the oldest child into a summer program and the youngest child will have to go to the local day care." Sybil explained.

"I don't think I can afford day care and rent." Norma confessed.

"Mrs. Bates, that where the government aide comes in. As long as you're holding down a job, taking care of your minor children and staying out of jail yourself, you qualify for free daycare, food stamps and rent subsidies."

"I can work." Norma argued. "I don't need welfare."

Sybil closed her notebook.  
"Mrs. Bates." she said calmly. "You're living at a motel room with your two boys. You told Deputy Romero you have no money. You've already told me you have no support system in place and you're alone. You DO need welfare and I suggest you use it. Otherwise, you'll be in much worse shape than you are now."

Norma felt her jaw tighten.

Sybil opened her notebook again and looked over Norma's case.  
"I can help you find a job. What work experience do you have?" she asked.

Norma felt suddenly ashamed for thinking she was too good for public assistance. She swallowed hard.

"House work. I cleaned house and… I cooked. I can sew and… I can cook just about anything." she said feebly.

"You cook?" Sybil asked. "What do you cook?"

"I can make anything in a recipe book." Norma said eagerly. "I like to cook."

Sybil nodded.

"Well, I have a friend of mine who runs a catering company. She is always in desperate need of someone who can work a kitchen. The money is actually pretty good and the hours are decent. The more catering jobs you do, the more money you can make. She's the only one in town who does weddings and things like that. If you're any good at all, she'll take you on full time." Sybil said.

Norma was shocked.

"Really?" she asked.

Sybil nodded.

"Does your car work? Can you make it to this job on time?" she asked

"Yes." Norma said eagerly. "I can. I will. What about the boys? If I'm at work, who's going to look after them?"

"I'll put in a call to the daycare and summer activity groups they have around here. The boys will be taken care of until I get the right paper work filed." Sybil explained.  
"And um… it won't cost me too much?" Norma asked.

"I doubt if it will cost you anything, Mrs. Bates." Sybil told her. "The summer activities is the brain child of our new mayor. It's free to all kids. They do sports and things like that to keep kids off drugs. Zack Shelby coaches little league. You're oldest will fit right in."

Norma felt the pressure in her body ease a little. Maybe things would be alright after all.

"Now, I just need to make sure your husband isn't going to come back." Sybil said sternly. Her notebook closed again and she glared at Norma. "I'm not about to do all of this for you if some abusive asshole is going to come back into your life and fuck it all up."

Norma was again taken back by her language.  
"See, I'm actually retired." Sybil went on. "Alex called me this morning asking me to personally get involved because he knows this old bitch gets shit done. But I'm not lifting a finger if you're going to flake on me. If you're not going to try and make a better life for yourself and the boys. If I catch one sniff of your husband here I'll drop all your claims and let you go back to him."

Norma took a deep breath. She hated asking for help but saw no other way.  
"Miss Lawson, I understand. I was actually hoping you could help me start on the paperwork for a divorce." she said sadly.

Sybil eyed her skeptically and Norma felt her face turn red.  
"I can do that." the older woman said. "Won't cost you anything either. I'll even have the judge fast track it on account of Sam's arrest."

Norma nodded.  
"I would like that." she breathed.

"Alright." Sybil said. "Let me get the rest of your information and the boys to. I'll need your room's phone number and I'll call you when everything is set up. If this old hag is still worth her salt, you'll have an apartment in a few days and a job to go to in the morning."

After half an hour of giving her social security numbers and medical information, Sybil seemed satisfied. Norma stood when the old lady did.

"Thank you." she said. "Thank you, from the bottom of my heart."

She wished she knew how to properly think the older woman. Two words could never be enough if she was able to do what she said.

"Thank you!" Norma called out again when Sybil unlocked her old car and waved at her.

~ Alex was asleep when his home phone rang for attention.

' _Gotta remember to unhook it when I get off the night shift._ ' he thought and rolled over to answer it.

Everyone knew not to call a man who worked nights. He had friends, but not ones who felt it was alright to just call him at home. White Pine Bay was small enough he saw people eventually.

"Hello?" Alex said in a tired voice.

"Little Bear." Sybil's voice was still like sandpaper from all her smoking. "Did I wake you up?"

"Yes." Alex said.

"Good, I'm glad." Sybil snapped. "I saw the lady you called me about."

Alex opened his eyes and sat up in bed.  
"And?" he asked quickly.

"She's elected to stay in White Pine Bay. I found her a job at Hilary's catering company. She starts tomorrow and the boys are already signed up for daycare and the summer programs the mayor started." she explained.

"What? Sybil that's amazing!" Alex said and sat out of bed. "You really are a miracle worker."

"What's a miracle, Alex is that I hear you paid for this lady to stay in that hotel for the rest of the week. She thinks a friend of yours is just doing you a solid letting her and the boys stay there, but I spoke to the manager before I met her. You rolled in and played white knight. That's not like you, Little Bear." Sybil said smartly.

Alex rolled his eyes. Sybil was from another generation. The people who remembered the man his father used to be. When Alex was still very young and his father was a decent man. The Bear of White Pine Bay and Alex was his cub.

Alex blinked at the memory of how he looked up to his father as a young child. How when people called him 'Little Bear' he always thought of it as the compliment it was. How time distorts the things he loved most.

"I wish you wouldn't call me that, Sybil." Alex said sadly.

"Well, i wish I had the body of a twenty year old stripper. Might make myself some decent money for a change." Sybil said gruffly. "We all have our problems, Alex."

Romero hung his head slightly. He liked Sybil's honesty.

"I doubt you'd make much money as a striper." He teased.  
"You know you'd be my best customer." Sybil snapped. "Answer the question, Little Bear. Why'd you pay for that woman's motel room?"

Alex had to think of an answer. He could lie very well, but Sybil had known him and his family for too long.

"I arrested her husband and ruined her night. It was the least I could do. I felt bad." he said feebly. His voice wanting to stutter slightly again.

"Well, he won't be her husband for too much longer." Sybil said quickly. "She's asked I fast track divorce papers so she can be free of him."

Alex felt his face brighten at this news.

"Really?" he asked.

"Ah, see I thought that would interest you, Little Bear. You can't fool me." Sybil said harshly.

"I don't know what you mean." Alex said.

"I saw this lady." Sybil told him. "She's very attractive. She carries herself very well and has some class. You can't tell me you didn't notice that. I know what kind of girl you like."

"I'm not interested in dating a woman with two kids, Sybil." Alex said with a forced laugh.

"You tell yourself whatever you need to, Alex." she said. "I've never seen you come to anyone's rescue before. Not like this. It was a nice surprise."

Alex was about to say something when she made a made a hasty goodbye and he heard the phone line click off.

He was still sitting on the edge of his bed holding the receiver in one hand. Relief was washing over him to know that Norma Bates was going to be alright. He might even see her from time to time. If she was going to be working for the local catering company, he might see her everyday. It was less than a block away from the police station.

Alex shook his head and hung up the phone. He wasn't a white knight like Sybil accused him of being. He certainly wasn't looking to get involved with a single mother either.

In a few days, he would forget all about Norma Bates.


	6. Chapter 6

6.

~ It was good omen to finally see the sun come out.

White Pine Bay was actually a very pretty little town with a charming town square. Norma maneuvered the Buick past picture perfect small shops and found they weren't that far from the bay.

"Boats!" Dylan said and pointed.

"Big boats." Norma agreed. She had never seen so many expensive looking yachts and sailing ships all docked in a gated area of the bay. The people here must be very well off to afford not only the fancy boats but a private place to store them during the off season. She felt slightly uncomfortable at seeing the embarrassment of riches while driving the run down car.

"We can go fishing." Dylan told her.  
"Not today, Honey." she said gently.

"On the boats!" Dylan told her and pointed to an impressive sailing ship that looked like a museum piece handsomely restored.

It was a short drive to the daycare Sybil had set up for Norman. It was set on a dead end road and surrounded by massive trees. Norma almost laughed when she saw that it was indeed a little red school house.

~ "The building is as old as the town." the daycare worker told her when Norma asked. There were only three ladies working and it seemed Norma had to talk to the youngest. A chubby girl barely out of her teens, but who's voice was very kind. "It was set to be demolished and they decided to restore it instead. It's been a daycare for about twenty years now."

Norma looked around the one room building. She saw a small hallway in the back that she guessed was a bathroom and coat room annex.

"We only take in kids from ages two to five." the girl explained. "We encourage them to play outside on the playground as much as possible. It always sends them home tired when they're picked up."

Norma nodded. The daycare was small, but clean and well organized. There were only ten kids here and poor Norman looked the smallest.

"We only have three staff members here and so we usually have space for ten kids." the girl told her. "But Sybil Lawson said this was a special case and to make room."

Norma flushed with embarrassment.

"How much a week?" she asked.

"It's $50 a week, or $150 for the month. Drop off starts at 6am and pick up is no later than 6pm. All our kids must be toilet trained, and we have a very strict no fighting policy here." the girl told he firmly.

Norma felt her heart speed up. $150 a month wasn't too bad for daycare. Especially in a place as nice as this one, with so few kids and such a large place to play outside. But it was still more than she could afford.

"Sybil told me to start a deferred payment until she could get your benefits started." the young woman reminded her.

Norma nodded. She was grateful she didn't have to explain about needing welfare.

"Yes. I'm not sure when that will happen." she admitted.

"No worries. You'd be surprised how quickly Sybil works. The owner of this place is a friend and is pretty cool about these kinds of things." The girl said confidently "We can take Norman now if you're ready."

Norma had been clutching Norman on her hip and was a little shocked she was being asked to trust this stranger with her son.

She looked over her sweet boy, but her baby had no interest in her. He was already reaching out to point at the toys on a neat little play area. Even Dylan looked longing at the swings outside.

"Okay." Norma said with a shaky breath. "I've just never been a long time away from him."

"You'll both do fine." the girl told her.

Norma nodded and slowly sat her toddler on the floor. Norman wavered a little on his still unsteady feet before waddling over to the large collection of brightly colored toys. His mother and the worker watched him play alone for awhile before Norma was convinced he would be alright.

"We give them lunch at noon. Any food allergies?" the girl asked.

Norma shook her head.

"No." she said sadly.

"We have all your contact information if there is any problem." the girl said quickly.

Norma nodded and her feet didn't seem to want to move.

"Pick up time is anytime before six. After six we start running the clock on overtime." the worker reminded her.

Norma nodded. She understood that the girl was asking her to leave now. She took Dylan's hand and the left quickly without looking back.

~ Dropping Dylan off at his new summer program was easier. Her oldest became excited at seeing the legions of other kids running around the field playing various sports.

"Mom!" Dylan shouted happily when he saw they were bringing out soccer balls and footballs to play with.  
"Dylan, wait!" Norma called out. Her son had taken off in a rush to be with the other kids his age. They were soon throwing a soccer ball around and shouting wildly.

Norma watched them running for a while. With the sun out, watching her child playing, she could almost feel happy today.

"Can I get his name?" a friendly voice interpreted her bliss. Norma jumped and turned to see a young man with an amazing smile and classically handsome features standing next to her. She felt her pulse quicken when he smiled at her.  
"Your son?" he nodded to the boys playing.  
"Yes." Norma said quickly. She couldn't seem to think strait. What was wrong with her? This man, who like the day care worker looked barely out of high school, was alarmingly handsome. He looked like he should be in a magazine selling prom tuxedos. Not out in a field with thirty screaming kids.

"What's his name?" the young man asked with a laugh.

Norma could feel her face flush.

"Oh! It's Dylan. Dylan Masset." Norma said. She felt suddenly very stupid. The young man looked over the check list.

"He's not on the list. You'll have to fill out a form." he said.

Norma realized he was looking her in the eye and she felt weak at the sight of his blue eyes shinning back at her.

 _'_ _He's not so much younger than me_.' she thought. ' _He had to be around twenty maybe. I'm only 24.'_

She had to shake herself out of these thoughts. She was still married to Sam and she had two boys and didn't have a place to live yet. It was no time to be thinking about men.

She took the clipboard he gave her and quickly filled out the forms.

"I hope Dylan tries out for my little league team. We don't have enough players yet. You've no idea how much I've been wanting to restart the old league." the young man was explaining. "I played when I was his age and it was great."

"Will he need any equipment?" Norma asked. She checked off Little League as a sport Dylan might like even though she was sure he'd never had interest.

"No, the city provides it." the young man said.

She looked back at him and he was smiling at her again. His classic all American good looks made her feel slightly dizzy.

"Excellent." he said when he saw she had finished.

"When is pick up?" she asked.  
"No later than six." he told her. "I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."

"I'm Norma Bates." she told him.

"I'm Zac Shelby." he said and gave her a wonderful smile. "Normally I work for the Sheriff's department but I'm doing this as a part time thing."

Norma nodded.

"Oh you're a cop?" she asked. Her face falling slightly. Zac must have seen it.

"Don't hold that against me." He laughed. "I'm one of the good guys."

She had to make herself laugh. She would have died from embarrassment if Zac had been one of the cops who had to handle Sam that night.

"I'm sorry. We're new here." she explained feebly.

"Well, welcome to White Pine Bay." Zac said gently.

"Thank you." she said humbly.

"Will you be picking Dylan up or will your husband?" Zac asked her. His voice sounded nonchalant but Norma could see he was fishing for information on if she was single or not.

"I'm afraid it's just me." she said. She could feel a smile bloom over her face when Zac looked happy to hear this.  
"Well, I guess I'll see you soon, Norma Bates." he said.

~ Hilary Richard ran a tight ship with her catering jobs. The kitchen was huge and spotless and the recipes were easy. Norma liked her right away.

"I think you'll do fine, Mrs. Bates." Hillary said when Norma had quickly calculated how much chicken they would need to feed 200 guests at a wedding later that week. It was work that was pleasant and at a comfortable pace. She helped make the sandwiches for a club luncheon later that day, did prep work for another wedding in a few days and even helped plan a menu for a job next month. Complete with itemized shopping list and projected cost.

Hilary Richard looked over her newest employee with cold eyes.  
"Yes, you'll do very well here." she decided.

Norma was a little surprised Hillary paid her in cash for the days work.

"You'll need it till Sybil can get your paperwork in order." she said hastily. "And if you're ready, I could use a level headed woman like you in my kitchen full time."

Norma didn't bother to count the cash she was given, but stuffed it in her purse, nodded to Hilary Richard and left for the day.

~ Dylan was hot, sweaty, dirty and tired when she picked him up in the old Buick. Zac Shelby waved at her and showed that amazing smile of his again. Norma felt her breathing pick up a little when he told her Dylan made the little league team.

"I hope you'll come to a few games, Norma Bates." he told her.

She blushed slightly. It felt like she was in high school again when Zac smiled at her.

"I hope so." she promised.

"Mom! I'm on the team. Baseball! Mom!" Dylan was excited and glad to see her. Norma felt her heart soften at the sight of her oldest child so happy.  
"I guess I'll see you at the next practice?" she offered lamely to Zac. He nodded and smiled at her again. She was grateful for the line of cars to pick up kids so she had an excuse to drive away. It was all too much right now.

~ Norman was likewise happy with his day. Norma found him playing in the dirt at the playground of the red school house. The other children and their caretakers were nearby and keeping an eye on him. His face and clothes were dirty but he was grinning ear to ear.  
"We've been busy!" Norma smiled at her youngest. Norman showed her some earth worms he had dug up. He laid them neatly in the palm of her hand as though he were giving her precious jewels.

She pretended to delight over them and, when his back was turned, she dropped them back in the dirt.

"My sons are giving me a lot of laundry to do tonight." she teased the boys.

~ At the motel, Norma made a dinner of sandwiches and chips and had the boys bathe early. Norman was asleep as soon as his bath was over. The sun hadn't even gone down yet and she felt very tired. But it was a good tired. A happy and optimistic tired.

Dylan was watching a baseball game on TV while Norma gathered everyone's dirty clothes to take to the small laundry room at the motel.

She had just taken her own shower and her hair was still damp when she stepped outside in the cool air of the evening.

' _I'm never going to get used to the weather up here._ ' she thought. It was too cold to be out with damp hair.

The laundry room at the motel took quarters and Norma was able to do all their clothes in one load. Someday soon, she would have a nice new washing machine. She would have fresh smelling clothes everyday. She wanted her own laundry room to have an antique style sink for rinsing things out and a drying rack for her delicates.

She was trying to decide how she would decorate her dream laundry room when a shadow fell across the floor. She had been alone there, happy with the task of folding her newly dried clothes when an intruder tore her from her day dreams.

"Mrs. Bates?" came a voice from the door.

Norma jumped and spun around. Her heart beating so hard in her chest she almost stopped breathing. She was far away from her room and Dylan and Norma were alone there. Who would even know she was here? Who would come to help her?

She saw the figure of a familiar deputy standing in the open door. He was in uniform, a large leather jacket obscuring his badge and gun, but she could still see he was on duty.

"Deputy Romero?" she breathed out. Annoyance flooding her face over him scaring her. "What are you doing here?"

She quickly crossed her arms over her chest. Suddenly very aware that she wasn't wearing a bra just now. She had only planned to do some laundry and go right back to her room.

The Sheriff's Deputy looked surprised by the question.

"I… I… came to see how you're doing. I just came on duty." he explained. His voice faltered slightly when she had snapped at him. She saw he was looking over the deserted laundry room. His eyes always inspecting things around him. She had noticed when he looked at her legs last night. She had known those eyes of his enjoyed watching her when he thought she hadn't seen. But he only ever watched her; nothing else.

"Oh." she breathed. "Well, you scared me."

"Why would I scare you?"

"Sneaking in here like that. I thought I was about to be murdered." she told him smartly. She turned around and started to fold Dylan's shirt.

She heard Romero's footsteps coming closer, but he stayed at a distance. She folded Norman's shirt and his shorts before Romero said anything to fill the awkwardness.

"How are you and the boys?" he asked at last.

She smiled. It was a real smile.

"Good. We had a very good day." she told him honestly.

She quickly folded her bra. Her hands careful to hide all the lace. She noticed Romero had looked away when she got to her own clothing.

"Sybil called me and said she spoke with you." he said.

Norma nodded.

"She's my hero." she admitted. "God, I haven't been in this town but a few days and I've already got a job I and the boys love it here. Dylan just made the new little league team and Norman was playing in the dirt."

She folded Norman's pajamas. She could feel herself smiling at the memory of her youngest playing.  
"He even gave me worms." she laughed.

The joke seemed to be lost on Romero. He stared at her curiously.

"He was playing in the dirt and gave me some worms he'd dug up. It was really very sweet." she explained.

Romero nodded.

"I'm sure it was." he said. "So, you're staying then?" he asked.

"I think so. I like my job with the catering company and I think I might be really good at it." she said.

Romero nodded.

"Well, I thought you should know your husband was sent back to Arizona for the warrant but his lawyer has already posted bail for him." he said soberly.

Norma smoothed over the neatly folded clothes in the laundry hamper. Her face growing hard and her smile disappearing.

She could feel Romero's gaze on her.

"Has your husband tried to make contact with you, Mrs. Bates?" Romero asked.

Norma shook her head.  
"No. But I've been busy all day. I don't think Sam even knows we're here." she confessed.

Romero nodded.

"Okay." he said softly.

The silence spun between them.  
She smoothed over the neatly folded laundry again.

The silence kept spinning between them.

"Mrs. Bates." Romero said.

She turned and saw his eyes looked oddly sad.

"I think you should get a restraining order against your husband. We'll do it through the sheriff's office. That way he won't have your physical address." he said.

Norma kept smoothing over her clean clothes. Her fingers going over the stitches of Norma's shirt. She couldn't focus on anything but the stitches on this little shirt.

"Norma?"

Romero's voice was louder and brought her back to the real world. She refused to look back at him. She hated the fact that her vision was becoming blurry with tears.

"Um…" she said with difficulty. "Sam… he might not even come back here."

"He has a son here." Romero said. "His wife is here."

"Sybil is fast tracking a divorce for me." she offered lamely.  
"Child support will have to be determined, Norma. He's not going to be out of your life." Romero said. "I saw him become violent with you the other night while you were in the car. I can draw up a restraining order based on what I saw. A judge will sign it within the hour."

Norma shook her head.  
"No. I don't want child support from Sam. It would mean he would have rights to my son. I don't want him around my son. Ever. It's best if he doesn't even know we're here. He won't come all the way to Oregon from Arizona. Not for us." she explained.

Logically, that made sense. Sam was very lazy and wouldn't bother with her so far away. Plus, she had the old Buick and he didn't even have a car now.

She looked back at Romero who seemed less convinced.

"Norma- , Mr.s Bates." he corrected with that same slight stutter. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I've met my share of guys like your husband. He was personally insulted a few days ago. That's not something he's going to forgive easily. If he comes here, harasses you or the boys, we need to establish an order of protection so we can arrest him."

"Look, I'm divorcing him. Isn't that enough?" Norma snapped. She hated these kinds of questions. Hated when people judged her or told her she was wrong and stupid. Deep down she knew that's not what the Deputy was doing, but it still angered her. She was mostly upset now because she had gone all day without thinking of Sam and now here he was again. It had been such a good day and now it was ruined.

She refused to look at the deputy. Her hands busy refolding Norman's shirt while she waited for her anger to pass.

"Look, I'm going to leave my card." Romero said finally. She kept her back to him, but strained her ears to listen for his movements. "My work number and extension is on there. I wrote my home number on the back."

"Thank you." she said sadly. Her voice feeling tinny and small.

She sensed he was still in the room with her, but she wasn't ready to face him just yet. Her tears were wanting to drop out of her eyes and she had tried so hard to hold them back.

When she finally turned around, he was gone.


	7. Chapter 7

7.

~ Sherif Tom Wilson didn't enjoy being Sheriff of White Pine Bay. He was qualified for the job after twenty five years of experience in law enforcement. He had been the elected sheriff of a small town in Nevada for four terms. When the scandal over Sheriff Romero's arrest and conviction broke, he had been on the short list to replace the infamous 'Bear of White Pine Bay' and weed out all the corruption that had no doubt flourished in the police ranks.

He had acted swiftly. He fired anyone who he remotely suspected of being involved with the drug trade cover up. Hired new deputies from other states and only kept those who he believed were trustworthy. This included the former sheriff's son, Alex Romero.

The town fathers and councilmen had made a point of telling Wilson not to keep Alex Romero. His father was, after all, behind the drug rings and profiting. Who was to say Alex wasn't a dirty cop to?

Wilson had laughed that off. The fact that these men were warning him about Alex Romero was a good thing. Just because the DEA hadn't caught these upstanding citizens and politicians, didn't mean they weren't guilty. The fact that they fought so hard to have Alex gone had to mean something. It meant that Alex was nothing like the old bear and that those who were guilty, were afraid of him.

Wilson paid the price of his defiance. He had his tires slashed, his home broken into, even his dog had been killed and hug on the front porch. All to scare him away.

But a few years had passed and seen the worst of it gone. There were a few arrests now and then. Mostly pot related. Wilson had made the decision after the old bear was gone, to look the other way when the pot fields slowly sprung up again.

His philosophy was that the drug trade in White Pine Bay was like a damn. You had to let a little pressure out at a time or everything would fall apart and destroy them. Without the money from selling pot, the town would go under. If he tried to stop it completely, there would be no economy in the town at all. That would lead to bigger problems than just a few pot farms.

The real issue was controlling the big players. There was too much money to be made and powerful men like Nick Ford and Bob Paris were becoming more and more ruthless. Wilson wasn't sure how long he could turn away when there were so many bodies stacking up.

~ "The U.S. Marshals were at my door last week." Wilson said casually.

It was early Sunday morning and Wilson and Alex Romero were practicing their true religion. A few hours of fishing while the good people of White Pine Bay were saved from damnation. They did this every Sunday without ever making official plans to met. It was an arrangement that they both understood.

Wilson liked Alex. The younger man was quite when he needed to be and didn't fill the silence with small talk. Alex Romero was also sensible and honest. Wilson could always talk to him honestly.

"Your door or the Sheriff's door?" Alex asked casually.  
"The Sheriff's door." Wilson corrected. He let his line out as little and breathed in the cold morning. The sun hadn't come up yet and there was a chill in the air that gave no hint to it being so close to summer.

"I arrested a man who had a bench warrant." Alex explained.

Wilson nodded.

"I read the report. I hate drunks behind the wheel. Especially wife beaters." the Sheriff said.

Wilson saw Alex stiffen from his place on the small fishing boat.

"I saw the paperwork you filed out for a restraining order. That man's wife sign them yet?" he asked.

Alex shook his head.

"She didn't ask you to write out a restraining order did she?" Wilson accused harshly.

"Norma Bates. No. I saw him be a little rough with her. Sybil Lawson told me she was trying to get a quick divorce. I felt it would be to her advantage to have a restraining order in place. Just in case things happen." Alex said calmly. Wilson saw that Romero kept his eyes fixed on the water.

"I see." Wilson said.  
"What?" Alex snapped.

"I see what I need to see."

"Care to clue me in?" Alex huffed.

Wilson took a long sip of water before speaking. He had quit drinking years ago and missed it everyday. But his wife, his precious Dee, has said she would leave him if he didn't stop. Wilson would have been a broken man without his wife.

"I was talking to Zac Shelby the other day and saw this Norma Bates picking up her son from little league practice." he said.

"Dylan. So?" Alex asked.

"It's just that, she's… very impressive." Wilson said carefully. "Is that why you felt the need to go out of your way for her?"

"I didn't go out of my way." Alex told him. His eyes back on the water.

"Not what Sybil said." Wilson laughed.  
"The two of you talk a lot about me I see."

Wilson smiled.

"Well, I feel you should know that Zac Shelby has been trying to make time with this woman. I saw it a mile away. Personally, I don't think that's a good match. Zac is too young to try and fool around with a married woman who has two little kids thrown in." the Sheriff said.  
"Shelby?" Alex asked in surprise.

Wilson nodded.

"You really think this Norma Bates will divorce her husband?" he asked. He could feel a slight tug on his line but experience had taught him not to pull in too soon.

"I would hope so." Alex said curtly.

"For her benefit or someone else's?" the Sheriff asked.

He saw Alex roll his eyes.  
"Look. I'm not interested in dating a woman who has two kids and isn't even divorced yet." the younger man spat.

"I see." the sheriff said. "There was nothing appealing about Norma Bates at all?"

"No." Alex told him smartly.

"I see." Wilson sighed. "You know, I was just re-elected. I have four more years here and then I think I might be done."

Alex turned to him in surprise.

"Retiring?" he asked.

Wilson shook his head.

"I'm going to ask for a transfer."

"Why?"

"Why do you think, Alex? I can't make all this shit work anymore. It was better when the DEA cleaned out the town after your father. But the new guys that took over… I can tell they don't play by the same rules. These people keep getting killed in all the infighting and I can't be responsible for it anymore." Wilson said soberly.

"We could take out the big players. Like they did before." Alex offered. "We have enough evidence on Nick Ford to put him away for thirty years."

Wilson shook his head.

"Take out Nick Ford and the others will only leave a vacuum. One that will be filled with an even bigger menace. Better the devil you know, Alex." Wilson said.

"The devil **I** know?" Alex asked.

Wilson nodded.

"I'm going to promote you to my first deputy. I'll announce it Monday. It will be easier for you to replace me after I leave. The city council will approve my recommendation if I remind them about all the evidence I've sat on over the years to keep them out of prison. They'd be too afraid not to elect you as Sheriff." he said.

"And then I'd be the one with the target on my back." Alex said defensively.

"You should be used to it by now, son." Wilson said sternly. "With who your father was and what he did, you're no stranger to people hating you."

Alex looked annoyed, hurt even, by Wilson's announcement.

"What if I don't want to be Sheriff of this town?" he asked.

Wilson looked indifferent.

"I know you want the chance to prove you're not your father." he said. "Whenever you and I talk shop you had better insights than most men I've worked with. Also, you know this town. You know the people and you know their secrets."

"I know how dangerous it can be." Alex said.

"I think you can handle it." Wilson said. "You're stronger than you think you are."

~ Alex was quite for a long time. The sun had come up and cast a beautiful light over the bay. Pinks, yellow and blue highlighted a scenic view and promised beautiful weather.

He was reminded of Norma Bates when he saw the blue of the sky becoming lighter. Her eye color wasn't quite this dark, but it was quickly coming close. He wondered briefly what she would look like sitting here in the boat with him. How she would just appear out of the darkness in the light of such a beautiful dawn.

"You know, it wouldn't be a terrible idea for you to get married." Wilson interrupted. Alex tensed and wondered if the Sheriff could read his mind.

"Man certainly wasn't meant to live alone." the older man added. "A nice woman would be good for you, Alex."

"I'm never getting married." Romero said quickly.

"Never say never." Wilson told him. "The right woman comes along and you'll snap her up quick enough."

Alex ignored him and focused all his attention on his line. The fish just weren't biting this morning.

~ It had been over a week since Norma and the boys had landed in White Pine Bay and she hardly recognized herself now.

Sybil had found them a run down, but cozy, rental home that came fully furnished and ready for them to move in. They were at the end of a lonely stretch of road in the woods, but it was plenty of room outside for Dylan to play. The boys had to share a room, and all of them had to share a bathroom, but the rent was affordable with her government aide check and she couldn't ask for more in life right now.

It was a quite Sunday morning and Norma was appraising her new hairstyle for the hundredth time. A new life required a new look. So her trip to the local beauty parlor yesterday was still fresh in her mind. A gaggle of gossipy women with hair styles from the sixties had intimidated Norma at first. But the older woman who owned the place was knowledgeable and listened to what she wanted.

"The platinum blond has to go." she had told Norma. "We need to be always classy, and never trashy."

Norma had trusted the hair stylist with the comical bouffant hairdo and submitted to being dyed, cut and styled. When she saw her new look, she almost didn't recognize her own reflection. Gone was the bottle blonde and tight curls Sam was fond of. Instead, the stylist had colored her hair darker and added more flattering highlights. She had even cut and layered her hair to frame her face better.

"With the two boys, this will be easier upkeep, I think." she had told Norma. "Just blow dry and go. No fuss. You're certainly pretty enough to pull off any hair style. You don't need to be too fancy."

Norma hand't thought she was that attractive till the hair dresser told her that. With her new look, she felt more confidant than she had in a long time. She no longer looked like the trailer park wife she had been with Sam. Now, she could be anyone she wanted.

 _'I'm going to buy a new dress today.'_ she decided. ' _A new life, new job, new hair and new wardrobe. I'm going to be the kind of woman who wears lots of dresses.'_

Once the decision was made, it was like she couldn't do it fast enough. She woke the boys up and got them dressed. She was glad her job always gave her Sundays off so she could stay at home with Dylan and Norman. They had been so busy setting up their new place, they didn't have time for much else.

"We need to do some shopping and maybe we can go out to eat." Norma promised Dylan when he complained that he was too sleepy.

"Norman was talking in his sleep again." Dylan yawned when Norma guided him to the bathroom to pee and brush his teeth.

"What was he saying?" she called out to her oldest. She dressed her youngest son who sat sleepily on the edge of the bed. She could hear Dylan urinating through the open bathroom door.

"He kept saying mother and then no over and over." Dylan said.

Norma looked at her youngest. Norman showed no signs of losing sleep. On the contrary, he looked happy to see her. His blue eyes bright with the promise of a new day.

"It's just something little kids do, honey." she told Dylan when he raced back into the room.

~ An hour of wrangling two boys to get dressed finally saw them off. Norma was glad the local dress shop was open and having a sale. She tried on a few dresses before buying a royal blue sleeveless with little orange flowers on it.

Dylan had seemed bored the whole time, but Norman was compliant enough for a toddler. It helped that Norma took him into the dressing room with her to keep an eye on him.

~ "Can we look at toys?" Dylan asked hopefully.

Norma sighed.

"Yes, but don't expect too get anything." she scolded. She knew Dylan and Norman would be walking out of that shop with a new toy car or robot. She didn't know why she fought it. Money was coming in now from her job and it was nice to finally be able to give her boys something. Besides, Dylan never asked for anything and there was a sense of guilt at allowing her son to do without things he wanted for so long.

Dylan waited at the crosswalk for the light to change. He was excited to be able to go into the toy store and hopping slightly in anticipation.

Norman, still in his mother's arms gave a sudden scream to be let down and squirmed out of her arms. She gasped at almost dropping him when he pulled away from her so quickly.

"Norman!" she scolded and managed to hoist him back onto her hip. He was getting too heavy for her these days. Norman grinned at his mother as if he had played a very clever trick.

She turned back to Dylan and saw her oldest child wasn't waiting at the crosswalk anymore.

"Dylan?" Norma called out. Her heart almost stopped when she saw her son just a few steps away. He had forgotten to wait for the light to change and was about to run into incoming traffic. His little body invisible between a parked car for now and any car coming would see a green light and not a five year old boy.

"Dylan!" she screamed and tried to pull him back in time.

Like something from a nightmare, a large SUV appeared on the street and all Norma could hear were the screeching of tires as it tried to break.


	8. Chapter 8

8.

~ Norma roughly pulled Dylan back just before the Sheriff's SUV was able to stop. The sound of tires screeching to a halt made everyone around them turn and watch the near tragic scene. Norma felt her body weaken from the sharp panic she had just endured, and she slowly sank to the ground. She clutched tightly to Dylan while still holding Norman on her hip. All three of them were huddled together on the sidewalk, still in shock over what had happened.

She looked up to see the flashing roof lights of the Sheriffs SUV snap on but not the sirens. Norma was still holding Dylan to her chest when she saw Deputy Romero jump out of the driver's seat. His face pale with fright over the near miss.  
"Is he alright?" Romero demanded harshly.

"Mom?" Dylan said weakly. His voice muffled by her neck. The child's thin arms hugging her back in understanding of what had happened. Norman picked that moment to start crying. No doubt sensing how upset his mother was and the sudden collapse of the three of them on the sidewalk.  
"He just stepped out into the street. Is he alright?" Romero asked again.

Norma looked up at him but couldn't speak. She couldn't seem to form words just now. Her heart was beating too fast over the idea her child might have been so easily killed. Romero's eyes were wide and all she could do was stare back at him.

Deputy Romero knelt down in front of her, his hands going to Dylan's back.

"Son, are you hurt?" he asked the boy gently.

Dylan unhooked his arms from Norma's body and turned to the Deputy. His little face already streaked with tears.

"Are you hurt?" Romero asked him again.

Norma watched the Deputy take Dylan's hands and move his arms for him. He was gently inspecting the child for any injuries.

"I… I didn't look… I didn't look both… both ways." Dylan stammered.

"Ma'am." came a new voice. "Are you alright?"

Norma had been watching Deputy Romero and Dylan so intently, she didn't even notice the older man get out of the passenger side of the Sheriff's SUV. She turned to him and saw the tall, commanding figure standing over them.

She nodded quickly and this satisfied the older man.

"Nothing to see here, folks." he said to the small crowd of people who had gathered around to watch the entertainment. "Everyone's fine." he added.

"Norma, are you alright?" Romero asked.

Norma looked back at the Deputy and realized her youngest was crying and her oldest was scared, but safe.  
"Yes." she managed to get out. "He just…" she looked at Dylan and felt bad for pulling him back so roughly. She probably scared her son more than the SUV did. "He stepped out into the street."

She felt winded after talking so much. Norman had started to sooth himself at hearing her voice and buried his head in her shoulder. His little fingers clutching tightly to her shirt.

"I know." Romero said with a sigh.

Norma watched him take Dylan by the arms again, forcing the child to face him. His hands were still gentle, but it was enough to make the boy pay attention.  
"Dylan, you can **never** do that again. Understand?" Romero said. His voice was harsh, but not cruel. "You could have been hurt. You could have died. What would your mother do if you died?"

Norma felt the urge to tell Romero not to discipline her child for her, but remained silent. The look on her son's face showed total compliance with the Deputy that she had never seen before. Dylan listened to this man in a way he had never listened to her before.

The boy nodded.

"I'm sorry." he said weakly.

"From now on you hold your mom's hand when you cross the street. Never cross the street alone. You know better than that." Romero scolded.

Dylan nodded.

"Yes, sir." he said at last.

"Alright." the Deputy said and let go of his arms. Dylan promptly turned back to his mother and demanded a hug.

"It's okay honey." she whispered. "You're alright."

"I'm sorry, mom." he cried softly.

"I know. You're okay now." she told him. She kissed his forehead and managed to wipe his face with her one free hand.

Her heart felt happy knowing her son, always so distant before, hugged her so freely now.

~ "I'm Sheriff Wilson." the older man said once Norma got to her feet.

Norma glanced over at the shiny new SUV with the word SHERIFF in big black decals. The flashing roof lights were still twirling and traffic was forced to maneuver around the large SUV parked int he street. Wilson and Romero seemed unconcerned with the scene they had caused. Pedestrians were walking past them and no doubt wondering what the Sheriff and his Deputy were doing talking to her.

"I'm Norma Bates." she managed to get out at last. It was relief she had managed to put Norman down but still clutched tightly to both boys hands. She was never letting go of these hands again.

"It's never easy wrangling boys this age. Double trouble when there's two of them." the Sheriff nodded at her sons. "You're a little outnumbered, huh?"

She knew the Sheriff was trying to be kind, but a dark part of her felt like it was an accusation.  
"I can manage." she told him. She wished she hadn't sounded so harsh. She knew this man meant nothing by it. That dark part of her mind had chosen to be offended. Telling her that this Sheriff thought she was a bad mother.

Sheriff Wilson nodded and glanced back at Romero. Norma had an uneasy feeling that she had been talked about before now. It was that same feeling she had in school when she knew the other girls were laughing at her behind her back.

"I hear you plan to stay in White Pine Bay." the Sheriff said at last.

"Yes." she breathed. She felt her face flush hotly.

"That's good to hear. I hope you like it here." he said.

Norma glanced at Romero and saw his focus was entirely on her. She felt judged for allowing Dylan to waltz into traffic. Her anger, that old familiar friend, awoke and was ready to breathe fire.

"Sheriff, I'm sorry for what happened. It won't happen again. Dylan knows better." she said quickly. She pulled Dylan and Norman closer to her and tried to side step past Romero. The Deputy was quick to block her. His arm extending to keep her from leaving but failing to touch her.  
"No one's blaming you." he said quietly. His eyes meeting her fierce glare.

"I know." she said. "But we still have errands to run today."

She realized she was still short of breath. It was too labor intensive to talk right now. She looked worriedly across the street and back at her car. Shouldn't they just go home after all this? Dylan would be disappointed but maybe it was for the best.

"Tom, I'm parked close by. You can just drop me off here." Romero said to the Sheriff.  
"You sure, Alex?" the silver haired man asked.

"I'll be fine." Romero nodded and didn't look back. Norma could feel his gaze on her and she tried to focus on something far off in the distance. It made her slightly uncomfortable to be the object of Romero's attention.

The Sheriff, a very thin and tall man, left without another word. He climbed into his nice SUV, killed the flashing roof lights and slowly pulled out of the street and eased into traffic. Norma noticed a good size fishing boat was being pulled behind him.

"Boat." Dylan pointed.

Norma looked down at her oldest and squeezed his hand. Thankful once again he was safe.

"I was out fishing with the Sheriff this morning." Romero explained.

Norma glanced back at him and saw he was talking to Dylan. She noticed for the first time Romero was dressed in regular clothes. Jeans, a T-shirt with a flannel button up shirt as an extra layer. It seemed all the locals who were truly locals wore flannel.  
"I wanted to go." Dylan whined with a spoiled petulant air that wasn't at all like him.

"Shh. Dylan." his mother scolded. The last thing she needed was her son demanding things of strangers.

"I think that might be my fault." Romero told her. "I may have over sold the sport of fishing the last time we talked."

"He's had boats on the brain since we moved here." Norma sighed. "All the fancy boats in the bay."

"Only one cure for that." Romero shrugged.

She looked back at him curiously.

"You'll have to go out on the bay one morning." he told her matter of factly.

Norma laughed. It felt good to just smile after what happened. That darkness in her head suddenly vanishing.  
"On a boat? In the water?" she smiled. Surely he must be joking.  
"Where else?" Romero asked. His face bloomed with a beautiful smile and Norma was taken aback. She had never seen him smile before. His face was always made of stone. His only emotions seemed to be anger or indifference. Only his eyes ever showed concern or worry. But when he smiled, she could see he was actually a very handsome man.

Romero caught her looking at him and his face feel slightly. Like he had been caught with his guard down, and his face turned to stone again.

"Being out in the bay, before sunrise, you either love it or you don't." he explained. "The only way to find out if you love it, is to go out and experience it."

"Before dawn?" Norma questioned with a grin. "You and the Sheriff were out there before the sun came up?"

"Only for a few hours this morning. Fish weren't biting today." he shrugged.

"Hours?" Norma questioned.

She couldn't believe so much time was devoted to something so boring. But she enjoyed hearing him describe it.

"When will we be on the boat?" Dylan pipped up eagerly.

"I can ask Tom to take his boat out next Saturday." Romero offered. "He told me he has to be out of town-"

"No. Deputy." Norma shook her head. "Trust me you don't want us all in a little boat for hours on end. We would drive you crazy. Dylan can't even swim."

"Mom." Dylan whined.  
"No." Norma said with a stern voice.

She felt Norman pull on her hand and watched her youngest reaching out to run his little fingers over Romero's hands. The Deputy allowing the little boy to look at his fingers with toddler fascination.

"Where were you going today?" Romero asked at last.

"Toy store." Dylan told him eagerly.

Norma was hit with the urge to hush Dylan again. She didn't want anyone to think her sons were spoiled. Nothing said spoiled brat like a trip to the toy store.

"We might actually go home now." Norma told him.

"No!" Dylan whined. "Mom, you said we could go."

"I can walk with you." Romero offered.

~ The little toy shop of White Pine Bay was like something from an old movie. They didn't have a large selection, it wasn't one of the big box stores, but what was there seemed well made and appealing to boys and girls alike.

Dylan and Norman wanted to pull away from her the second they entered the shop.

"Boys, no." Norma hissed and felt like she was reining in a pair of wild horses.

"Boys." the Deputy said in a solid, commanding voice that made Dylan stop and turn to him.

Norma glanced at Romero in shock that her most defiant son would listen to him. Norman automatically copying his older brother's behavior and standing still.

"Look with your eyes and not your hands." Romero told Dylan.

Norma didn't like the Deputy telling her children how to behave, but she couldn't argue with the result. Dylan nodded and took special care to walk around the shop. Norman following his big brother and watching for what to do next.

Norma and Romero held back a few paces, but kept the boys in sight.

"I remember coming here as a kid." the Deputy commented.  
"Oh yeah?" Norma asked. She was slightly amazed that Dylan wasn't touching anything but looking at all the items as if they were in a museum.

"When the Star Wars action figures came out." Romero told her. "This was the place to be."

Norma had to smile at that.  
"My brother was a Star Wars fan. He had all the action figures." she blurted out. She felt slightly sick at mentioning her brother. She hadn't meant to remember a happy time with him. Of the two of them playing with his action figures under the porch. Their safe place from the rest of the world. She kept her lips sealed tight for fear of saying anything else. Romero didn't seem to notice. The two of them walking behind the boys and watching them enjoy themselves.

~ Dylan finally settled on a very nice toy convertible. A red one made of real metal where he could let up the hood and see the engine. Norman, forever easy to please, we content enough with the toy dog Norma picked out for him. It was the kind that barked and did a back flip when turned on.

She quickly paid for them while Dylan showed the Deputy the fine details of his car.  
"It's very nice, Dylan." she heard Romero tell him.

~ "So, Sybil has you and the boys settled?" Alex asked when they were back outside again.  
"Dylan, hold my hand!" Norma ordered sharply. Her oldest child so enamored with his new car that she probably thought he would walk into traffic again.

Instead of taking her free hand, Dylan slipped his little fingers into Alex's open palm.

Alex wasn't used to being around kids. He wasn't friends with people who had small children and even if he was, he wouldn't have gone out of his way to be around them. Likewise kids weren't exactly drawn to him. As a cop, he no doubt intimidated children.

So it was a pleasant surprise to have Dylan so taken with him. Especially after he took it upon himself to lecture the boy about walking into the street.

He hadn't meant to do it. He knew it wasn't exactly his place to correct the boy with his mother there. He couldn't help himself. He had almost killed a child and the image of Dylan rushing into the street and him having to break so hard would stay in his mind for a long time.

Alex could see Norma Bates didn't like him scolding her son. However deserved it was. He guessed that was why she was so annoyed just now.  
He watched her comb through her hair with her free hand. He thought she looked a little different, but he didn't want to mention it. He liked the change in her hair if there had actually been a change. He was very good at noticing things that mattered, but women and their hair styles wasn't one of them.

"Yes." Norma said at last. "She found us a little house to rent down Pine Valley Lane."

"Nice and quite." Alex nodded. "Lots of woods around there."

"Yes, it was fully furnished so we were able to move in." Norma agreed. "Lucky break."

"Sybil is a miracle worker." Alex agreed.

They walked past the busy part of downtown. Past curious onlookers who knew he didn't belong with this woman and her young children. In a small town, everyone knew everyone else and knew Alex Romero didn't belong with this woman and her two sons. No doubt the rumor mill would be in full swing tonight. Alex grimaced at the idea his personal life would be talked about. He always kept these things private.

"There's my car." Norma said and nodded to the old Buick.

Alex nodded.

"I'm parked over there." he said and nodded a few blocks away.

"Well. Thank you for… well for everything." she said awkwardly.

Alex saw she was looking at her shoes. Her attention always wanting to be on anything but him.

"You're welcome." he said.

A thought occurred to him and it was so like Alex Romero to spoil the perfect moment.

"By the way, Sam Bates was released on bail the other day." he said.

Norma looked up. Her eyes sparked like fire at the news.

"Have you given anymore thought to the restraining order?" Alex asked.

Norma looked a little winded and ready to faint.

"Um… he… Sam doesn't know where… where we live. If we're even still in Oregon." she explained feebly.

"It would be easy enough to find these things out." Alex told her. "You really need to sign the restraining order, Mrs. Bates."

Norma looked lost in her own thoughts.

"Um, we need to go." she said at last. She pulled Dylan and Norman to the old Buick. Escaping before Alex could protest.


	9. Chapter 9

9.

~ Life had been good in the little bubble. Norma had thought Sam was locked up all the way in Arizona while she was starting her new life. She felt safe for the first time since she could remember with this idea. She didn't want him to come back. She wanted him gone forever. She wanted her bubble back.

But she knew as soon as Deputy Romero had told her, that Sam would come for them. Sure he was lazy and the trip to Oregon would be a hassle, but Sam would do it just for spite. He would drag all of them back to Arizona just because he could. Just because he felt it was his right.

' _Maybe I should sign the restraining order._ ' she thought. But she quickly dismissed the idea. ' _No_. _That would only make him angrier. He really would come after us then._ ' Maybe if she made no other contact with Sam, he would leave them alone. The divorce papers were sent and that couldn't be undone. Now she wished she hadn't let Sybil send them out. She wished Sam thought they were dead. If they were dead, at least they would have peace.

~ When she arrived home with the boys she rushed them inside and quickly locked the doors. She drew the shades shut and turned off the lights in the front of the house. The Buick was tucked safely in the garage so Sam couldn't see it if he was looking for his errant family.

"Mom?" Dylan asked.

"It's okay, Honey." Norma breathed.

Why was she so frightened? Sam didn't know where they lived and he wouldn't just show up on her doorstep without her knowing. She was letting fear control her, and she didn't want her new life to be controlled by fear.

"We're fine." she said with a forced calm she didn't really feel.

"Are we going out on the boat tomorrow?" Dylan asked.

"You have little league tomorrow." Norma told him. "Remember?"

"Oh yeah. But, are we going to be on the boat soon?" he asked.

Norma shook her head. Hours and hours on a small boat with the boys and Deputy Romero didn't sound like her idea of fun. He would become so bored with two small children she doubt he would ever want to talk to her again. Besides, there was something about Romero that made her uncomfortable. Perhaps it was the way he was always looking at her. It was like he was questioning her on intimate details and she was forced to answer.

"We're not going on the boat. You're too little to be out on the bay like that." she told her son. She opened the pantry to look for something to make for dinner.  
"But the all the dads all take their boys on the boats." Dylan protested.

"Dylan." Norma said sternly. "That's enough."

Her oldest looked angry and she was reminded sharply of her brother in that moment. The idea of her brother intruding into her mind made her feel ready to throw up.  
"Fine! Go to your room if thats how you want to act!" Norma spat.

Dylan glared at her, his new car clutched to his chest protectively. His fearsome gaze was painful before he finally tuned to go to his room.

Norman, due to his age, seemed oblivious to his brothers outburst. His focus was only on the little toy dog he now loved.

 _'_ _At least I never have to worry about you, Norman_.' she thought.

~ Alex had spent his whole life in White Pine Bay, and he knew what house Norma Bates was talking about. He drove by it later that evening to make sure everything was alright. A nagging feeling in his gut told him make the slight detour. It was so secluded out here, the idea that help might take a while to reach the little house troubled him. He slowed down and peered at the cozy little house at the end of the street. The curtains were all drawn and the lights were off.

They had to be home though. He could see the kitchen light in the back was shining brightly. He quickly turned his patrol SUV around before anyone saw him. He didn't want Norma Bates thinking he was spying on her.

~ After dinner, with the boys bathed and put to bed, Norma had trouble falling asleep. She didn't like this new feeling of dread seeping into her life. The new life she was so good at now. Her boys were doing well, her job was great and she felt like she was becoming the person she wanted to be. Now, Sam could come and screw it all up. Why couldn't he just drop dead?

Norma dug into her purse and found her billfold. She pulled out the white business card Deputy Romero gave her while she was still living at the motel. He had scrawled his home phone on the back. ALEX written in big, messy letters like how all men wrote.

She ran her fingers over his handwriting and turned the card over to study his credentials carefully.

 **Deputy Alex Romero**

 **White Pine Bay Sheriffs Department**

 **White Pine Bay, Oregon**

She read over his office phone number and extension. She wondered if she should call him. A crazy part of her just wanted someone to tell her Sam wouldn't bother her. She wanted to just hear those words from someone who's voice was confident and sure. Someone who was divorced from emotion and knew about these things. Someone who had easily taken Sam out before without breaking a sweat.

Norma realized she liked that part about Romero best. Better than how he was with Dylan or how he looked when he gave her that rare, brilliant, smile. She liked the fact that Romero had hurt the man who hurt her.

"Alex." she whispered. Her hands covering the business card like she was about to start a prayer. "Alex, tell me it's going to be okay."

~ Dylan's first baseball game was less than a week later. Being that the teams were confined to a small budget, there were no uniforms for the players yet. Instead Norma had outfitted her oldest with a red T shirt as instructed by Shelby.

She had been surprised when Dylan's coach had called her Monday evening. Norma hadn't slept very well the night before and was making silent plans to leave White Pine Bay without a word of goodbye to anyone. Just pack herself and the boys int he old Buick and see how far they could get before the piece of shit broke down for the last time.

"I know I said there was no cost but he will need a red shirt for the game." Zac said.

Norma watched the boys eat their dinner while she held the kitchen phone to her ear. She ran her hands through her new hairstyle for the hundredth time and suddenly wished she had make up on. A silly idea because Zac was on the phone and couldn't see her.

"Oh. That won't be a problem, Zac." she said casually.

"Great." he said. "Dylan has been doing really well. I can't wait for you to see him play Friday."

Norma felt her heart beat quicken. Her face growing warm at the prospect of seeing Zac at the game. She was reminded of being in high school when a boy called to ask her out. Her fingers even twisted around the curling phone cord while she tried to think of something witty to say.

"Well…. um, that sounds great. I know Dylan is super excited for his first game." she said a little too brightly.

"You know, the parents like to take the kids to the local pizza place after the game. Win or lose type of thing. It helps encourage good sportsmanship for the kids to eat pizza with the team they played against." he told her.

"Oh. Oh yeah that sounds like a good idea." Norma said. She felt stupid for not thinking of something more clever to say.

"It would be nice if you and Dylan can come. I could always use another grown up thats more level headed. Some of the parents can be a little too involved in the game. They forget it's just a game, you know?" he said.

Norma started to grin. Her blood rushing with happiness.

"Oh. Yeah." she breathed and tried to sound carefree. "Yeah, I got your back."

She closed her eyes with the sudden embarrassment of saying something so stupid. What grown woman actually said that?

Zac laughed. A warm, enchanting chuckle.

"Well, Norma Bates, I'm looking forward to Friday then. Game starts at six o'clock sharp." he said.

"I'll, um, WE will be there." she said breezily.

~ The rest of the week felt easier after Zac's phone call and her promise to attend Dylan's game. She had the sense that maybe things would be okay. That maybe Sam would stay away forever, sign the divorce papers and leave her and the boys alone for good.

On Friday, it was a mad race to pick Norman up from day care and get Dylan ready for his game. The large park was packed with children and adults setting up lawn chairs and coolers with drinks.

Norma looked for Dylan's team in the clusters of children dressed in different primary colors. Little kids ran everywhere wearing yellow, green, blue and orange.

"Where the hell are they?" Norma breathed. Her hands clutched tightly to Norman and she felt out of place among all the sports parents.

"Norma?" a voice called out over the shouting of children.

She turned to see Zac Shelby walking towards her.  
"Oh!" she breathed. Relief at seeing him and glad she was in the right place.  
"Norma, we're over here." he said with a smile. He reached out to her and, like it was meant to be, Norma stepped closer to him. She felt his hand go to the small of her back, guiding her to the baseball field where Dylan's team would be playing.

"I'm glad you came." he said with that same charming smile that was always ready for her. "We need more people cheering for us."

"Always ready to cheer for the team." she said happily. It felt nice to walk next to Zac to the baseball game. It made her feel special and wanted.

~ It was comical to watch pre-school aged children try to play baseball after a while. The rules were quickly forgotten in favor of trying to run to first base even if the hitter had struck out. In Norma's mind, Dylan seemed more adapt at the sport than the other players. Her son looked at Shelby for instructions and even hit the ball on his second swing.

Norma screamed at him to run and she cheered wildly when he reached second base. The game ended an hour later with Shelby and the other coach encouraging the players to shake hands.

"Guys, I'm super proud of how you played today. Everyone did their part and you're all winners." Shelby was telling the team. Norma wasn't even sure if Dylan's team won or not. She guessed that that wasn't the point.

~ The pizza party was likewise chaotic with all the children running around and shouting. Norma chipped in money along with the other parents and enjoyed watching Dylan play and have fun with his teammates.

"I heard what happened Sunday." Shelby said. Norma was holding her youngest on her lap when they were joined by Zac.

She looked up in surprise.

"Romero almost hit Dylan?" Shelby reminded her. "I heard about it Monday. Must have been scary."

"Oh. It was fine. Dylan just stepped into traffic. He was fine." Norma said quickly. "You heard about that?"

"Small town." Shelby confessed. "This kind of thing gets around. Especially when it was the Sheriff's car."

"Yeah, I met him." Norma said remembering the tall, silver haired man with Romero. "Deputy Romero and the Sheriff had been fishing."

Zac smiled but looked uncomfortable.

"Sheriff Wilson and Romero have always gotten along. In fact…" Shelby looked around to make sure they weren't overheard. "The rumor is since Romero was made first deputy Monday, he will be the new Sherif before the next election. The town council weren't happy about it either."

Norma leaned in across the table. Delighted to hear some gossip that wasn't about her.

"What, they don't like Deputy Romero?" she asked.

"Wilson and Romero are thick as thieves." Shelby confessed. "This town used to be big in the drug trade till a few years ago, the DEA raided the place. No one knows who called them in. But, Romero's dad was the Sheriff and the old bear is now in prison for corruption, concealing evidence, bribery and murder of a DEA agent."

Norma leaned back into her seat. The scandalous news hitting her hard.

"Oh my, God." she whispered. "I had no idea. How is he still working here if his father did all that?"

Shelby shrugged.

"I guess Alex never got caught, maybe he's just too tight with the right people." he said. "The DEA investigated everyone in the Sheriffs department for over a year. It was before my time, but they never found anything on Alex when his old man went away."

"You think Deputy Romero… that he's corrupt to?" Norma whispered.

She honestly didn't picture Alex Romero as being a shady character. He seemed too inflexible to collaborate with criminals. It was hard to imagine him concealing evidence and murdering people for his own justification.

"I don't know him well enough to say." Zac sighed. "But now he's not just your average deputy anymore. He's risen through the ranks at the Sheriff's department pretty fast, and I know he's friends with some powerful people here. Some dangerous people."

Norma nodded.

"Thanks for telling me." she said plainly.

"I don't want to scare you, Norma." Shelby said kindly. "I just want you to know the truth."

He was smiling at her then. That all American boy next door appeal clearly shinning through.

"I'm glad I know." she confessed. "I'm glad I know who I can trust."


	10. Chapter 10

10.

~ Rebecca Hamilton had always held a strange appeal to Alex. She was after all, very attractive. He wasn't fooled by her, not for a second, but he appreciated certain aspects about her. The classy way she dressed, her intelligence and her shrewdness. Rebecca was many things, but she always said what was on her mind.

"I heard you've been wanting to play house with this single mom." she teased him.

Alex leaned away from her. He could tell from her breath that she'd been drinking, but then again, so had he. Rebecca had dropped by his house unannounced that evening as was her habit, and Alex could never say no to what was bound to happen.

"What are you talking about?" he asked with a cold indifference.

He was sitting comfortably in his living room chair, Rebecca across his lap. Her long, thin legs dangling over each arm rest. Another fascination she held for Alex, was her glaring sexual powers. It wasn't even romantic, just pure animal lust that roused him. He wondered if it was something she had learned and used to her advantage, or if she was just in a constant need of satisfaction through manipulation.

She tossed her long reddish hair back and gave a fake laugh.  
"You and that Bates woman. The one Hillary hired? I heard you were downtown last week taking her and her kids shopping. Looked like you were a regular family." she said. Her words like acid in his ears.

"I almost hit her son when he ran out into the street." Alex said calmly. His fingers grazing over the black silk stocking of one of her well toned leg.

"Oh, well I think it's sexy you want to play daddy." she whispered in his ear. Her voice electric with some imagined game involving such a morbid scenario.

"Did you really come over here this late to talk about some other woman and her kids?" Alex asked. His fingers were pulling down the stocking off her leg. Another thing he liked about Rebecca, she always dressed up for sex. Her silk stockings were the old fashioned kind that demanded great care to slip off first one leg, then the other. She always wore a corset with intricate lacings that forced him to unravel slowly.

She was kissing his neck in the way she knew he liked best, but he pulled away when she went for his lips.

He knew Rebecca was also sleeping with Bob Paris, Nick Ford and other powerful men in town. She was the type of woman who was drawn to powerful men. It didn't bother Alex that she slept around, they didn't have that kind of relationship; and he didn't lie to himself that they did. The only thing good about them together was sex; and when that was done, they had no other contact.

In reality, he didn't think Rebecca was a good person. But she knew what he wanted and gave it to him easily without asking for anything in return. She made him forget, temporarily, how lonely his life was and for just a few hours, she made him feel happy.

"You know what I came here for." she whispered and tried to kiss him on the lips again.

Alex moved away from her kiss. He didn't like the idea that the same mouth that serviced Bob Paris and Nick Ford would make contact with his mouth. He knew it was hypocritical of him to be involved with the same girl as men he was forced to tolerate, but Rebecca asked nothing from him except his physical self.

That was something he could do. But he wouldn't kiss her.

"Come on, baby." she purred in his ear. "To celebrate your promotion."

She ground her hips deeper into his and Alex felt himself relenting. His hands went to her long hair and laced through the tresses.  
"The condoms are in my room." he told her.

A look of disappointment washed over her face, but she smiled.

"We don't have to use them." she told him.  
"Yeah. We do." Alex informed her coldly. He didn't want to insult her by bringing up all the men she was with. The men he knew about was enough. Bob Paris had peculiar tastes and Alex was sure Rebecca wasn't his only bedfellow at his parties.

She did look insulted though.  
"I thought you wanted to play daddy, Alex." she teased.

"I never told you that." he said. He could feel his hardness for her growing, it was always this way when she came by uninvited for a quick, heated coupling. His lust burned hot for her until it was satisfied, and was quick to turn cold.

She rolled her eyes.

"So no playing with the loaded gun then?" she asked. "It could be exciting."

"I have enough excitement." he told her.

She leaned in close and whispered in his ear.

"You're just lucky a like the way you fuck. Otherwise I wouldn't put up with you for a second."

Her words burned him and he pulled her back by the hair. His lover yelped slightly, but started to smile at the prospect of something kinky. Alex let her go, but only so his arms could go around her back side, lifting her up off his lap.

Her arms and long legs were wrapped around him as he carried her easily to the bedroom.

~ "That was a great dinner, Norma. Thank you." Shelby said when Norma handed him his glass of wine. Dylan's game had been a few days ago, but Zac had kept making excuses to call and see Norma. Finally she invited him to dinner with her and the boys. An invitation he readily accepted.

"It was nothing." Norma lied. In reality she had taken unusual care with dinner tonight. She knew she had made too much, a good sized roast, potatoes, carrots, greens and homemade biscuits. That wasn't even counting the chocolate cake she had baked especially for her guest.

The four of them had eaten together in a very pleasant meal and Norma had been glad when the boys, full from dinner, had willingly gone to bed early, leaving the two of them alone.

"It was **not** nothing." Zac laughed. The two of them collapsed easily on the sofa in her small living room. "I doubt I've been fed this good in a long time. I'll have to be careful or I'll get too fat hanging around you, Norma Bates."

She smiled and leaned back against Shelby's chest. It felt good to be appreciated like this. To have her cooking marveled over, her home praised for being cozy and the boys behavior kept in check by a masculine presence who wasn't half drunk or belittling their mother. Zac had complimented Norma on everything she did, no matter how small. She felt slightly embarrassed by the way he was so quick to flatter her.

"Do you plan on hanging around me a lot?" she asked softly. Her cheeks felt warm and she was glad her back was to Shelby and he couldn't see.

Zac wrapped his arms around her shoulders and she felt his lips tickle her cheek.  
"I'd sure like to." he whispered.

Norma felt that giddy, school girl, rush of happiness she always associated with recklessness. Memories of how Sam had seduced her away from her first husband flooded her mind. Sam had flattered her like this all the time. He had given her attention when her first husband neglected her. She had been helplessly drawn in and felt immune to consequence for her actions.

"Are the boys asleep?" Zac asked. His hand brushed gently over her breast and Norma felt her breathing pick up.

"Zac?" she whispered. "I don't think it's a good idea."

She leaned forward out of his arms. The warmth of his body had felt perfect, and without it, she was suddenly cold.

"What isn't a good idea?" Shelby questioned. She looked at him and saw puzzlement on his handsome face.

Norma sighed.

"We don't really know each other that well. I mean, I'm not even divorced from my husband yet." she explained carefully. "I mean, you're still young, you're good looking. I'm sure you can do better than a single mother of two boys."

Shelby laughed and then looked her in the eyes.

"Norma, if I wanted to be with women my own age, I would." he explained. "In case you haven't noticed, I take myself a little too seriously. I like being with you because you're not like other women. You're much more interesting."

"But I have the boys to think of. If you're in my life you're in their life to. I'm not sold separately." she explained.

"Yeah, and I coach little league in my spare time." Shelby told her. "I live in my grandparents old house with all the extra rooms and I'm establishing a career when most guys my age are still doing keg stands. In case you can't tell, I'm ready for commitment, Norma."

She wanted to believe him. Her heart ached to believe that she and the boys could one day be a happy family with Zac. To belong to him and have her sons belong to a good man. That they could live together in a big house and be the picture perfect home she always longed for.

She felt his hands reaching over her thigh, His fingers nestling between her legs.

"If you're reluctant because your divorce isn't final, I'll respect that. We can wait as long as you need to. But I'm not going anywhere, Norma. I'm perfectly happy being your dinner guest till you say it's time for more. I'm willing to prove myself if you'll give me the chance." he said.

Norma felt her stomach flutter with Shelby's sincerity.

She ran a hand over his face. When their eyes met, she was taken aback by the way he didn't flinch or look away. Zac saw his opportunity and took it, his lips perfectly meeting hers. She kissed him for a long time. Her body warming up to the feel of him. His strength and masculinity overpowering her senses till he broke away.

"I should go." he whispered sadly.

Norma felt a pain at being separated from his kiss at that moment. She opened her mouth to ask him to stay, but something made her remain silent. The darkness in her mind was whispering bad things to her.

 _'It's too good to be true. Handsome and younger than you? Please. You're just a notch on his bedpost and you know it. He's lying. How can you tell if a man is lying? His lips are moving, dummy! Didn't you learn anything from Sam? You're just so ready to give it up for anything that gives you the slightest bit of attention. You really are the whore your father always said you would be.'_

Norma blinked and the pain in her chest widened. She didn't like this negative side of her. She didn't want to keep feeding it to keep it alive. But she couldn't help herself. It wasn't the right time to let Zac sleep over. What if her intuition, however negative, was right?

"May we can all go out to a movie next week?" Shelby said with that same charming smile. "Let the boys sit up front and you I can make out in back?"

He was teasing her and she laughed at the idea of the two of them acting like teenagers.  
"That sounds really fun." she agreed.

And it did.

"Alright." he said. "I'll call you later."

"Okay."

Zac leaned over and kissed her sweetly on the cheek.

"I meant what I said, Norma. Dinner was amazing." he added. "And so are you."

~ Alex was on his last round of the evening. He would no longer be on evening shift or night shift for that matter if he didn't want to. As first deputy to the Sheriff, he could comfortably work any shift he liked now without concern. He decided that he still might rotate between the three shifts. It would help to keep an eye on the town better, although he might lose more sleep.

Such a schedule had it's benefits. It would make it hard for certain people to drop by his house without notice. It's not that he didn't have a good time with Rebecca, the woman defiantly had skills. It was always after. He always felt bad after they had pleasured each other so well. Perhaps it was because their physical intimacy never evolved into an emotional one.

Rebecca's pillow talk never interested him and he wondered when she was planning to leave. Alex never allowed her to stay the night and last night was no exception. It had been especially awkward when she talked about their future together.

"You know we could make this work." she had told him lazily.

Alex's body had been appeased and he was honestly open to anything after the feverish tussle they had enjoyed.

"Make it work?" he asked. His breathing was still hard in the darkness of the bedroom.

"We could move in together. You know I'm sick of having a roommate. Why don't I just move in here?" she said casually.

Alex had felt physically ill at the idea of seeing Rebecca everyday. She was enjoyable, there was no denying that, but only in small doses. He had also been a little annoyed that she didn't want him to wear a condom. Her 'Daddy' comments while she rode him were also off putting. He could feel a trap being set and decided to cut her off before things got worse.

"Yeah, I don't think so." Alex said curtly. "What would Bob Paris say?"

"What makes you think Bob Paris would care?" he laughed. "We're not a couple."

"Neither are we." Alex reminded her.

Rebecca looked angry.

"I see." she said. Her eyes flashing angrily. "That's all I am to you? A good time and not wife material?"

"You're the one who came to see me." Alex reminded her soberly. "I didn't ask you over here and certainly didn't make you stay."

Rebecca looked ready to spit fire. She quickly slipped out of his bed and dressed. Alex didn't bother taking in the view of her body while she was putting her clothes back on.

He knew she would be mad at him for a while. That she would go for weeks or even months without calling him or stopping by. He also knew she would eventually come back. She would see his SUV parked in front of his house late at night. She would ring his doorbell and he would let her in.

They would have brief catch up and the get down to business. After their fun, they would most likely have the exact same fight and everything would repeat itself.

Alex's love life wasn't stellar, and perhaps it was always meant to be that way.

He drove past the quite little houses on the sleepy wooded lanes. His radio had been silent for hours now. Just another week night with nothing to report on. As was becoming his new habit, he made the turn on Pine Valley Lane that Norma Bates and her sons now called home. It was always how he started and ended each shift since that Sunday she told him where she lived. He liked driving past her house and doing the turn around once he saw everything was alright. It gave him closure.

Bright, reflective decals on a patrol SUV caught his attention. It belonged to the Sheriff's office and it was parked in Norma Bates' driveway. Alex slowed down and saw the number 52 on the SUV.

' _Shelby?'_ he thought to himself.

He grabbed the radio and heard the blip of the operator come on.  
"Margo, is Zac Shelby working tonight?" he demanded.

A brief static as the dispatch received and processed his request.

"No, Alex. Zac has been off all day." she reported.

"Has there been any calls on Pine Valley Lane?" Alex snapped back. "Any disturbances?"

"No. Nothing I can see." Margo told him after a few seconds.

Alex looked at his watch. It was almost nine o'clock and Zac Shelby was at Norma Bates' house.

Alex felt his face flush hot with anger and he stepped on the gas. The SUV surging forward and making an erratic U-turn that kicked up more dirt and gravel than necessary.

 **Okay. So I know everyone HATES this chapter. But it has to be done. Sorry. I promise Normero time will come up. Also some drama that I'm super excited about. Keep reading, and thank you so much for all the positive feedback! The goal of this story is to undo all the bad things that happened to Norma and Alex. But we have to keep it real.**


	11. Chapter 11

11.

~ Alex noticed Shelby had come into the station in too good a mood the next morning. His pretty boy looks were always annoying to Romero, but after last night, they were even more so.

"Morning, Alex." Zac said happily. "Is the coffee fresh?"

Alex didn't bother to look at him.

"You'll be riding with me today, Shelby" he said coldly.

Zac looked up in surprise. Romero normally did everything alone, and preferred it that way. It wasn't in his nature to ever have or enjoy the company of others. Aside from his Sunday mornings with the Sheriff on the bay, everyone knew Alex Romero preferred his own solitude.

"Sure thing." Zac said after a seconds pause. "Is there something going on?"

"See you in the car. Five minutes." Romero snapped curtly.

~ Shelby didn't waste time with coffee and instead followed Alex to his patrol SUV for the morning errands that involved basic meet and greet of local businesses. Just showing your face in a place helped to stave off bad elements.

"How's the little league team this year?" Alex asked after thirty minutes of heavy silence. Romero didn't mind the awkwardness. He used it to his advantage. He was Shelby's superior now and intended to use his new authority. He knew he made Zac uncomfortable by not talking. He knew he made a lot of people uncomfortable just by being in the same room as them. But only guilty people were ever made to feel uncomfortable around a man like Alex Romero.

"The team?" Zac asked. His perfect smile at the ready. Happy to talk about such an easy subject as sports. "It's going great. It's the younger kids right now. The five to seven year olds so it's more of a circus right-"

"Teaching them team work and good sportsmanship?" Alex interrupted. It was his style to ask another question before his suspect had the chance to really answer the first one. To let the guilty party rush ahead and explain themselves into a jail cell.

Zac didn't seem to take the bait. He nodded slowly.

"That's the plan." he said carefully.

"Parents giving you a hard time?"

Zac shook his head and look out the window.

"Not really." he said casually.

Alex could feel his jaw tighten. His teeth wanting to grind together.

"You seeing anyone, Zac?" he asked. His voice trying to sound friendly, but he knew it never came off that way.

Shelby smiled and let a full five seconds pass before he answered.  
"Well, now that would be my personal business, wouldn't it, Alex?" he responded.

Romero's back teeth ground together.

"You know, it's not easy." he said.

Shelby was silent.

"Dating I mean." Alex explained. "Especially in a small town like this where everyone talks and everyone knows about your private life."

"I guess so." Shelby said after another five seconds of silence.

"Especially when you're a public figure. When you have to have the respect of the people you serve. You always have to use discretion." Alex told him.

Shelby nodded. The younger man's eyes focused on the view in front of them.

"Dating young women who are single is one thing. But a woman with two young children, a woman who isn't even divorced from her husband yet, is something people will talk about." Alex said at last.

"You're trying to tell me you know about Norma Bates and myself." Shelby said indifferently. "That people in town are talking about us."

"People will talk about the two of you." Alex said easily. "We both know that. If it ends badly, it would hurt her reputation and yours."

"I don't see it ending badly." Shelby said with such arrogance Alex wanted to punch him.

Instead he pulled over the SUV and glared hard at the younger man.  
"I don't want to hear about you using her just because you wanted to play house. It's not just your life here. She has two young kids and technically she still has a husband. The city doesn't need it's police force to have that kind of reputation and frankly, Norma Bates doesn't need to be the subject of gossip around town either." Alex said.

He never raised his voice, but he knew Shelby was paying attention.  
"I don't want to hear about you using a young mother for your own means. It would be a shame if you hurt her. I'd hate to have to break your legs for it." Alex said with a hushed and steady voice.

Shelby finally turned to him. His eyes wide with understanding.

"Norma and I… nothing happened." he explained carefully. "She didn't want to rush things."

Alex waited for Shelby to go on. He could tell the younger man was telling the truth about not sleeping with Norma Bates.

"At least till her divorce comes in." Shelby added.

Romero put the SUV in drive again.

"I think you and I will start riding together from now on." he said cooly. "I'm glad we had this talk."

~ Norma was feeling good today. More than three weeks in her new home and in her new life and she felt reborn. Sometimes she hardly remembered her old self. Her job was enjoyable. Her boss seemed unable to live without her and that made Norma feel good about herself. There was always cooking and cleaning to be done at work and the job was pleasant and the company enjoyable. The ladies who came to help cook for jobs were always nice and asked about her boys. Always ready to give her the inside scoop on school that started in September and what doctor was best in town for younger kids.

She had no idea that she could feel so fulfilled with something as simple as steady employment and a home of her own. Shelby had called yesterday, but didn't mention going to the movies with her and the boys. That darkness in her mind chirping at her. Telling her that maybe he really wasn't interested in dating an older woman with two small kids in tow.

She let go of the idea of Shelby easier than she thought she would. She wasn't ready for a romantic relationship right now. It was enough to be on her own and to prove to herself that she could do it.

~ "Macaroni and cheese?" Norma asked Dylan. "Honey, we had that last night."

"I like it with the little hot dogs!" Dylan demanded. Norman turned to his mother and grinned.

"Alright." Norma sighed. "I'll make that for you two. But I'm going to make myself something good."

"Okay." Dylan called out.

Norma smiled at them. Dylan was coloring and Norman was playing with his little barking dog. Both of them camped out in the living room where she had allowed them to set up their toys and build a couch fort on this rainy Saturday. Lately their behavior was better than she had ever seen.

Sports had proved to be a perfect outlet for Dylan and Norman thrived now that he was around other children his own age. She had alway planned to keep her youngest at home for as long as possible. Part of her thought he needed to be protected, but she knew she was just being selfish with her baby. But it was good to see that she was wrong about her son being bullied by classmates in daycare.

"When can we go outside?" Dylan asked for the tenth time.

"When it stops raining." she told him. "You'll have to wear your new rain boots when you go out."

"Mom, there's a car in our driveway." Dylan said.

Norma raced out of the kitchen. She was sure it was Shelby paying her a surprise visit. She ran her hands through her hair and smoothed down her shirt and skirt. She didn't even wait for the doorbell to ring and instead opened it to her visitor who had just stepped on the porch.

Her husband, Sam stood there looking at her with a pleased smile.

"Norma. Baby, I'm so glad to see you." he breathed.

Norma took a step back. It was a reflex at seeing her former abuser in the flesh without warning. Sam was here. He had invaded her new life. He was here in the one place he shouldn't be.

"What are you doing here?" she asked. Her voice felt flat and none of the courage she wanted came to her now.

"I came to get you and the boys." Sam said. He met her eyes and she was amazed to see he looked better. His skin seemed healthier and he looked more like the man she had married four years ago.

"I came to take you home." he added.

Norma shook his head.  
"Sam, no I sent you divorce papers." she hissed. "You need to leave."

"I know. I got the papers, baby." he sighed. "Let me in so we can talk."

~ Norma was uneasy with Sam in her home. The big man seemed out of place among her cozy mismatched furniture. He sat at the kitchen table with Norman on his lap. Father and son seemingly happy to be reunited. Dylan, like his mother, wasn't so easily fooled. He stayed in the living room glaring at his step father with cold, angry eyes.

"Everything is so nice here." Sam told her after a while.

"Thank you." she said softly. She glanced at Dylan who looked too much like his real father at that moment.

"Sam. I want you to sign the-"

"I quit drinking, baby." Sam interrupted. "I went through detox and I haven't had a drink since the night that asshole arrested me. I know I was wrong. I was wrong to drag you and the boys up here, I was wrong to make you live the way we did. I was wrong to treat you like I did. I'm in AA now and I go every night. I've even started going to church and I want you and the boys to come to services with me."

Norma leaned back against the kitchen counter.

' _Don't be fooled_.' the darkness in her mind said. The black bird that perched itself on her shoulder was always so negative, always mean, but she knew it was right. ' _Men like him don't change. How can you tell if a man is lying, dummy?'_

She shook her head.

"You look really good, Sam." she honestly. "But we've made a life here and we're going to stay."

Sam grinned like she didn't know what she was talking about. A grin that said he was just humoring her.

"You can't keep a boy away from his father, Norma." he said. He held Norman tighter and the little boy looked up at her.

Norma swallowed hard.

"Look, I have a good job now. A real job with my dad's insurance agency." Sam told her. "He hired me on full time when I proved I was sober. There's going to be money now for a real home and a decent car and-"

"Whores?" Norma accused harshly.

Sam's face went hard.

"That's what the bench warrant was for, right?" she asked. Her heart was beating hard in her chest. Part of it was fear, part of it was remembering the humiliation of Romero telling her what her husband had been up to. She replayed the image of Deputy Romero, a man who so gently held Dylan'a hand to cross the street, beating the shit out of her drunk husband and laughed. She couldn't help it. She loved it too much.

"It wasn't what you thought, Norma." Sam said through gritted teeth.  
"What was I supposed to think, Sam?" Norma snapped. She was glad her anger was aroused. Glad her own teeth were bared like a cornered animal. "After everything you've done to me, the fact you've been picking up whores is the least shocking."

"And you know all about whores, right?" Sam barked.

He stood up and Norman fell from his lap. The toddler starting to cry at the unexpected injury.

"Norman!" his mother went to him but Sam pushed her off.

"Don't you baby him!" he barked. He pushed her away from coming to her son's aide. The shove was so violent that Norma hit the kitchen counter. She winced at the pain and was sure there would be yet another bruise from Sam on her body. "You need to go pack your things. My family is coming home with me now."

"No, we're not you pathetic asshole. We stopped being your family three weeks ago." Norma spat.

Sam slapped her. His long, ape like arms reached out and made perfect contact with her face. Norma never remembered being struck so hard. Never remembered the sting of it. Never remembered the total humiliation of being hit in the face.

Maybe she had just forgotten what it felt like to be hurt by someone she once loved. Maybe her new life had been just a fleeting illusion and this was reality.


	12. Chapter 12

12.

~ Alex had a gift for noticing things. He noticed when his neighbors changed their window dressing. When Sheriff Wilson stopped going to his regular barber and regretted it. He noticed when the girl at the front desk broke up with her boyfriend, because she started wearing shorter skirts to work everyday.

So it was nothing at all for Alex to notice a strange car parked outside of Norma Bates house during his drive to work. Especially when he was looking for anything off.

He had spent the week riding with Shelby, or Shelby riding with him. He discovered he actually didn't dislike the younger man at all. He just didn't want him to date Norma Bates or be involved with her in any way. Other than that, the two men got along well enough. They talked about sports and fishing and cars and fishing. The three topics that were always a safe zone for male bonding.

Before and after work, Alex drove down the treelined lane where Norma's little house was. He saw the strange red car sitting in her driveway that first day. The rain had started and became so thick he could barely make out the license plate. Before he could think too much about it, there was a call coming in over dispatch. Keith Summers was involved in another brawl at the local bar.

"Have Shelby meet me there." Romero ordered and turned back into town.

He had been so busy with Summers, that drunken mess, Romero had actually forgotten to drive by Norma's house that evening.

Alex had the next day off and Rebecca had stopped by his house; unannounced as usual. She wasn't in the mood for anything fun and neither was he. She was there to start another argument about why they were even together. He stood in the doorway to his own home and didn't let her in. She had seemed a little too ready to fight with him and he wanted nothing to do with it.

A trip to the store for his steady diet of TV dinners found him home again and watching a ball game he had no interest in.

About nine, he started drinking. He wasn't a beer man, never had been. Instead, he favored the hard stuff. The kind of drink that was effective after only a glass or two. Alex never drank on duty but as soon as he was off the clock, he was quick to numb himself to the world. It had been his practice since that Sunday morning he found his mother dead.

He closed his eyes when his thoughts turned to his mother. In a few weeks it would be another anniversary of her passing. He glanced over at the picture on his desk. It was the only photograph he had in the house. It's frame was basic and minimal so not to detract from the subject of the picture.

Alex was roughly three when it was taken. His mother, always a stunning and almost regal beauty, was holding him in her lap and both of them were smiling. It had been a good time in their lives. His father was still a good man who was respected, and whatever demons his mother would battle later, they hadn't found her yet.

It was when the real locals of White Pine Bay called Alex Romero 'Little Bear'. He remembered walking downtown with his father and everyone would wave at the local Sheriff and ask him how his 'cub' was. His father smiling and holding fast to Alex's hand.

"This old bear is nothing without his cub." he would say.

"Are you going to be Sheriff someday just like your old man, Little Bear?" people would ask him.

The little boy that Alex used to be would only nod shyly and his father would laugh.  
"Watch out!" he teased his friends. "Alex will arrest everyone."

It was the only time in his life Alex was proud to be his father's son. He couldn't remember the exact cause, but everything seemed to collapse after those days.

He wasn't sure when sleep came for him. Only that his dream were fightingly real. So real he could smell the grass in the summer air. He could feel the heat from the sun on his shoulders as he walked to the house where he would find his mother's body. He could hear the sound the floor made when he walked across it. The squeak of the hardwood and the vibration under his feet that was only found in those older homes.

Knowing what he would find, but incapable of diverting his path, Alex went to her bedroom. The curtains and bedclothes were yellow. His mother loved the color yellow and applied it liberally to all her decorating. He registered the way the homemade curtains floated up from the summer breeze that stole into the open window before his eyes fell on his mother.

Her black hair was smoothed out of her face and she laid curled comfortably on her side. Her eternal sleep looking natural in this cheery bedroom. Alex heard the floor creak when he moved. He heard himself call out to her and stopped when he saw how blue her lips were. How grey her skin was. He was shaking her awake, calling to her. Her night dress was yellow and sleeveless for summer. Alex felt how cold her skin was. His mother was never cold to the touch. In that instant, he knew she was dead.

Everything else had always been a blur. Dragging her out of bed and performing CPR. A futile endeavor that would haunt him for years at the memory of her cold lips on his. She wouldn't wake up. She wouldn't take in air. He didn't even remember calling the ambulance when she refused to open her eyes no matter how hard he begged.

But this time…. this time things shifted. The yellow was washed away to a soft blue. A blue Alex liked because it wasn't a sad color. It was a cheerful blue that promised…. something.

He turned to the bed and instead saw someone else there. Another woman in a sleep of death. Her body curled up in the same eternal sleep. Her perfectly formed lips were tainted blue and her porcelain skin was a chalk like grey.

Alex was breathing hard when he touched her cold skin.

"Norma?" he whispered in disbelief.

Norma Bates' eyes fluttered open. They were no longer that beautiful color her had so admired. They no longer sparked with her hidden fire that could never die. Now, they were washed out from the touch of death.  
"Help us." she whispered to him. Then her eyes closed forever.

~ Alex felt his whole body jolt awake. It was as if he'd been struck by lighting and it was a painful sensation. He could still smell the summer grass, still hear the creaking of the wood floors in the house he grew up in. He still felt his mother's cold lips on his when he tried to revive her. Most of all, he knew Norma Bates and her sons were in danger.

He stood up and looked at the mantle clock above the fireplace. It was almost 1am and it was pouring rain outside. Should he call Norma Bates? No, he didn't even have her number.

He couldn't drive over to her house. He'd been drinking and with all this rain…

Yet, as soon as the idea to go over to her little house entered his mind, it was all he could do to not run to his SUV and drive there as fast as he could.

The rain was horrific that night. The worst Alex had seen in a while. There was lighting and he knew parts of the roads would surely be flooded out. He turned on the flashing overhead lights to other cars would see his police SUV better and let him pass. But no one else was stupid enough to drive anywhere on a night like this.

Alex didn't feel drunk as he sped down the secluded lanes that would eventually lead to Norma's house. His body and mind felt more alive and more awake than he had ever remembered before.

His SUV skated to a halt just outside of Norma's house and he was quick to kill the flashing lights overhead. Maybe it was his police instincts, or someone watching over him. Guiding him in a strange way he wasn't used to.

To his absolute horror, Alex saw a small figure dart out of Norma's garage and race up to his SUV.

The rain was pounding over the child as if to wash him away. Alex unlocked the passenger side door and Dylan jumped in.  
"What's happening?" Alex demanded before he fully took in the picture of what this innocent creature had been through.

The little boy's teeth were chattering from the wet and the cold. Something was terribly wrong. Norma would never allow Dylan out in this weather. Her oldest son didn't even have shoes on. Why wasn't he in the house? Where was Norma?

Wordlessly, Alex reached in the back seat to find an extra jacket for the boy to put on. Dylan allowed Romero to help him wrap up against the cold, wet night. He still said nothing except to allow his jaw to quiver from the cold.

"Dylan?" Alex said in a clam and steady voice. He put a hand on the boys shoulder and saw the child look back at him. "Tell me what's happening. Where's your mother?"

"He…. " Dylan stammered. "He came back."

Alex blinked.  
"Who came back?" the Deputy demanded.

Dylan looked ready to cry.  
"He came back… he wouldn't let mom…. he wouldn't let us leave." Dylan explained feebly.

A dread, colder than the rain outside washed over Alex. He knew exactly who was in that house.

"Stay in the car, Dylan." he told the boy. "No matter what happens no matter how sacred you get, you stay in the car. I'm going to lock you in and I'm going to get your mom and your little brother."

Dylan nodded and looked ready to start crying. Alex removed a loaded hand gun from the concealed place in the cab and locked the shot gun that sat beside the small child.

"It's going to be okay." he said to the boy. "I'll be right back."

Outside, the rain was punishing. Alex was quickly soaked through before he even got to the house. He was used to it. You couldn't live, work and play in this area without learning to accept the rain. He spied into the windows of the house and saw the place was a wreck. Not the normal chaos of raising small boys, but a wreck that meant something terrible had happened.

He saw the kitchen table was turned over and chairs were thrown into the living room. Alex had never seen the inside of Norma's house before, but he knew she wasn't the type to toss furniture around.

Rather than go to the front door, Alex wound his way to the back. He saw the kitchen lights were all on and there was a man walking through. Kicking an overturned chair. Alex would recognize him anywhere.

Sam Bates looked the same as he did the night Alex first arrested him.

' _So, we're doing this again._ ' Alex thought bitterly. The Deputy ducked down when Sam Bates walked past the window and into the living room where he collapsed on the couch to watch TV; an angry look on his face.

Alex moved past the back door to the smaller bedroom and found it was empty. He opened the window and silently slipped inside. The house was eerily quite. Sam was watching TV at full volume in the living room and Alex couldn't tell where Norma and the youngest child were.

He peered out of the boys room and saw a light on down the hall. The back bedroom was painted a blush pink and Alex saw an overturned lamp on the floor. It's light was casting odd shadows across the room. He caught his breath when he saw Norma through the open bedroom door. Her body sitting perfectly still in front of her closet door.

Alex crept down the hall, his movements on the hardwood floor making a troublesome creak that was all too familiar.

Norma Bates was sitting on the floor of her bedroom. What wasn't bruised on her face was red from crying. She had her slim, attractive legs folded under her and her skirt smoothed neatly down.

He almost called to her name, but stopped when he saw her more clearly.

She was clutching her left arm to her chest. Cradling it against more harm. Alex could see the broken bone poking out of her skin. He felt his heart almost stop beating at the sight of her. She had been brutally beaten. Her body and her spirt. She was in too much pain to even cry now. Her face was like she was in a trance. As if she had left her body so she might survive this night.

Alex slipped into the bedroom and was at her side in a second.

"Norma?" he whispered.

She didn't look at him.  
"Norma, I'm here now. It's okay. Dylan's okay." he said.

She still didn't look at him. Her eyes were filling with tears again. They were a blue that reminded him of being lost a sea. A terrible storm where he knew they would all be lost.  
"Norma, it's Alex. I'm here now." he pleaded for her to acknowledge him.

She wasn't there. Her breathing was hard from the pain and who knew what else. Alex ran a hand through her hair and she closed her eyes at the contact. His hand reached her face, the unbruised part, and she leaned into his gentle contact.

"Where's Norman?" he whispered to her. She opened her eyes again and he saw she was dead inside.

"Where's Norman?" he hissed again.

Alex stood up when everything went dark. He heard the TV in the living room snap off. The storm had knocked out the power.

"Fucking bitch!" Sam shouted and Alex could feel the footsteps on the floor. Feel the vibrations of the big man coming to them.

Norma started to cry softly. Her slight body hunched over her compound fracture.

Alex had seen enough.

Without hesitation he left Norma in her bedroom and met her husband in the kitchen. It was still dark in the house. The only light was coming from outside and the storm obscured even that. Yet, Alex could see Sam Bates well enough to do what had to be done. If he didn't do this, Norma would never be free no matter what lies they told themselves to the contrary.

Sam stopped when he saw Alex standing there. A look of surprise on his stupid face.

"What… what are you doing here?" Sam asked.

"Hey, Sam." Alex said casually.

"Who the fuck are you?" Sam accused. His voice rising in anger.

"You should have stayed in Arizona, Sam. You shouldn't have come back." Alex told him bluntly.

"What?" Sam asked.

"And you really shouldn't have hurt her." the Deputy finished before three shots rang out.

Alex watched with mild fascination as Sam Bates clutched his throat where one of the bullets had struck. The other bullet hit his chest and shoulder. It was an uncomfortable way to die, but Alex stood there and watched the process. He watched Sam Bates bleed to death in Norma's kitchen.


	13. Chapter 13

13.

~ Outside, the storm had picked up even worse. The phone in the house was torn from the wall and Alex was forced to run back out into the bedlam of rain and wind.

He reached the SUV, unlocked it and found Dylan was safely where he left him.

"Dylan, your mom's okay." Alex lied to the boy. "You did a good job flagging me down like you did."

Dylan nodded.

"Remember that?" Alex prompted. "Remember how you ran out into the street when you saw my car? You told me there was a bad man in your house, and your mom was hurt? That was the right thing to do and I'm very proud of you."

Dylan nodded and Alex hoped the child would repeat the story when questioned later.

The deputy quickly grabbed the radio and called into dispatch.

"Margo, I need an ambulance to number 13 Pine Valley Lane." he said loudly into the mouth piece. The wrath of the storm outside was picking up now.  
"Alex? Is that you? What the hell?" the dispatcher called back.  
"Dispatch, I have an injured woman, a missing child and a dead suspect at number 13 Pine Valley Lane. Get me an ambulance and some back up now." Alex said calmly. "And wake up Sheriff Wilson." he added.

~ In a few hours, the storm had blown itself out. It left the air feeling cleaner somehow. As if it needed to create so much destruction before it could make things better.

"I was too scared to be in the house." Dylan explained to Sheriff Wilson. "He was yelling so loud and I didn't like it."

The older man had been feeding the little boy thin mint cookies he'd bought from his granddaughters girl scout troop. Ever time Dylan finished something difficult, he was rewarded with a fresh cookie.

"I hid in the garage for a long time. I heard my mom screaming a lot. I was scared." Dylan said.

"Son, did you call anyone?" Sheriff Wilson asked. "On the phone maybe?"

Dylan shook his head.

"He ripped our phone out of the wall and hit my mom with it. He hit her in the face when she told him she was calling the police." the boy said.

Wilson gave him another cookie.

"So how did Deputy Romero know to come here I wonder?" Wilson asked.

Dylan shrugged.

"I saw his truck. I ran out into the road and waved at him to stop." Dylan said slowly. "He stopped and let me in his truck. I told him about the bad man in our house and that my mom was hurt."

Wilson gave him another cookie.

"Then what happened?"

"He put a coat on me." Dylan said sadly. "Then he told me to stay put and not to leave till he came back."

Wilson gave him another cookie.

"Well, your mom's going to be okay because of you. You saved her life. You're a very brave young man, Dylan." he said. "I think I might have to hire you to be a police man."

"Okay," Dylan said easily.  
"You have to finish school first. So it may be a few years." Wilson added.

"Okay." Dylan said with a nod.

~ Alex knelt beside Norma while the paramedics tried to take her blood pressure.

She started to cry when her non injured arm was moved even slightly.

"No. No. Please. Please don't do it." she cried. Her voice like that of a child and fat tears dropped out of her eyes.

Alex winced at the sight of her once beautiful face. Sam had put deep bruised all along her right side. Her eye was swollen and her lip was split.

"Norma, they need to take you to the hospital. Let them take your blood pressure," he said as gently as he knew how.

Norma refused to move. Her mind seemed completely gone.

The paramedic looked at Romero for what to do.

"I can't even asses her if she wont respond. I might hurt her worse if we try to move her." she said.

Alex looked over Norma's injuries. There was blood on her shirt and skirt. Then there was her horrible broken arm with the bone sticking sickeningly out of the skin.

"She's in shock and we need to get her on the stretcher now." the paramedic advised.

Alex reached out a hand to touch Norma's uninjured face again. His palm gently running over her hair and cupping her cheek. Like before, her eyes closed and she leaned into his touch. He leaned in close to her so that his lips were close to her ear.  
"Norma, it's okay. You're safe now." he whispered. "He's dead. I promise he's dead. You're safe."

He could feel her breathing relax under his hand and her eyes stayed closed.  
"We have a stretcher here. I want you to get on it." he whispered gently.

He watched in fascination as her eyes opened again and she turned to the waiting paramedic. Her focus seeming to have returned. Her eyes were briefly lit with a fire that meant she was still herself.  
"Mrs. Bates?" the paramedic asked hopefully. "Can you lay down on the stretcher for me? We're here to help you."

Norma looked back at Alex in a daze. He could tell she was wanting to go back under again. Wanting to retreat to that place where there was no pain.  
"Norma?" he said calmly. She opened her eyes to look directly at him.  
"I want you to get on the stretcher for me. Please." he ordered her.

She seemed confused but eventually submitted to his instructions. Her body looking broken with all the bruises to her legs he hadn't seen before. It took her a long time to maneuver onto the waiting stretcher. Her injuries no doubt making any movement painful. Alex and the paramedic tried to help, but were afraid to touch her for fear of hurting her even more. Eventually, she managed to lay down and Alex was quick to cover her body up with a warm blanket. The Paramedic started taking her vitals.

"Where's Norman? Where's your son?" he asked. His face was inches from hers and he could hear her labored breathing but not her voice.

"Dylan is safe, where is Norman?" Alex asked again. He tried to keep his voice calm, he didn't want to frighten her any more than she already was.

She just stared back at him. Her eyes falling back into that black abyss where she was without knowledge of the evils of this world.

"Deputy, we have to take her." the paramedic said.

"Make sure the other child doesn't see her like this, or the body. Keep the door closed." Alex ordered. The last thing he needed was for Dylan to be further traumatized by seeing Sam's corpse on the floor of his mother's kitchen. It was bad enough the fat pig bled more that normal and everyone had to step around the large mess of blood.

Alex knew Wilson was talking to Dylan about what happened and that the other officers were combing through the house and woods for a missing two year old. The power was still out and flashlights shone through the darkness in search of the toddler.

In the storm, Norman could have easily been killed.

Alex threw open the closet door and pulled back Norma's dresses to look for the missing boy. Her closet was neatly organized with vintage fashion and modest outfits. Her shoes all placed on the floor for her to use when she dressed. Even her dirty clothes hamper was tucked away and out of sight. Alex, rooted around the closet and turned up empty handed. No Norman Bates was kidding there.

The Deputy went on hands and knees then to look under the bed and found it was likewise clean and no indications of a child.  
"Find anything, Alex?" Wilson asked when the Sheriff came into the bedroom.  
"Nothing!" Alex spat angrily.

"We've looked in every closet now." Wilson said. His brother hasn't seen Norman in hours. We need to consider that the lady's youngest ran outside like Dylan did."

"No." Alex shook his head. "I won't believe that. The storm was strong enough that it would kill a two year old."

"We're knocking on all the neighbors doors." Sheriff Wilson said. "Maybe he found shelter there."

"Norma. The boy's mother. She was sitting in front of this closet. She refused to move even after help had arrived." Alex argued. "I thought he had to have been in there. She must have been protecting him from his father."

The deputy pointed to the empty closet. His mind was racing over all the places a two year old could hide and stay hidden.

"We have to find him, Sheriff." Alex said at last.

"We will." Wilson told him calmly.

There was a moment of silence as both men stood in Norma Bates' bedroom. Her things broken and torn by her husband's rage were scattered on the floor around them. The Sheriff turned and gently closed the bedroom door so they were alone.

"Deputy." Wilson said gravely. "Tell me what happened."

Alex shrugged.

"I was headed to the store and I took a wrong turn in the rain." he said casually. "I wound up on Pine Valley Lane and saw Mrs. Bates youngest child running towards me. I pulled over and let him inside the SUV. He told me there was a bad man in the house."

Wilson nodded.

"That is almost exactly what Dylan said." the Sheriff mused. "Word for word."

"Well, when two stories from different people match, I guess it's true." Alex shrugged.

"Why the hell were you going to the store in the middle of this storm at one in the morning, Deputy?" Wilson asked.

Alex sighed.

"I had a female visitor and I had run out of…. precautionary items." Alex said tactfully.

Sheriff Wilson nodded.

"Must have been a bad itch to go out in this storm." he said. "I won't mention the smell of whisky on your breath, or the fact you're not the kind of man who makes a rubber run like a high school kid."

"Thank you, Sheriff." Alex retorted.

"Because certain people would ask why you took it upon yourself to come here otherwise." Wilson added. "Might even think it's odd you were the one to kill her husband."

Alex glared back at him.

"Certain people." Sheriff Wilson said. "Not me. I saw the way you looked at that woman when her son ran into the street that day. Just please tell me you shot her husband in self defense, Alex."

"I shot Sam Bates in defense of myself, Mrs. Bates and her son." Romero said coldly.

"You announced yourself as police when you entered the home?"

"I did. But the TV and the storm was pretty loud." Alex said.

Wilson looked at him for a long time.

"Keep looking for the child, Deputy." he said. "And make sure you stick to that story."

~ Sheriff Wilson has the fire department and search dogs roused out to the house on Pine Valley Lane to search for the missing two year old. Alex watched Norma loaded safely into the ambulance just as Zac Shelby arrived on the scene.

"Is she going to be okay?" he asked Alex.

Romero looked at the younger man. He seemed genuinely concerned about Norma.

"She has a broken arm, maybe a concussion." he told Shelby.

"But is she going to be alright?" Zac demanded.

"I'm not a doctor." Alex said curtly. "Right now, we have a missing two year old."

"Norman?" Zac asked.

"Yes. He might have wandered into the storm when all of this was happening. His brother was outside earlier. Search teams are already in the woods with dogs. I think he might still be in the house. We need to find him." Romero told him.

Romero and Shelby tore the house apart as Sam's body was photographed and documented.

It was odd how the sight of a man he had killed lay three feet away and Alex wasn't bothered by it.

"Awful lot of blood." the crime scene investigator mused. "I bet he was on blood thinners. They always make them bleed out everywhere."

"Didn't ask about his medications when he tried to kill me." Alex snapped. He and Shelby pulled back the couch and found nothing.

"Where else could he hide?" Shelby breathed. "He's only two. He should have cried out by now."

Alex nodded. Power was still out in the house and it was hard to search with just flashlights.

"Romero?" Shelby said at last. "What if he was hurt? He could have been knocked out."

"His mother was sitting in front of her bedroom closet and she refused to move. It was like she was guarding something." Alex said out loud. "She refused to move even when the paramedics arrived."

They went back to look at the closet and found nothing. Again.

"Look under everything." Alex ordered. He and Shelby turned Norma's bed over, her mattress tipped on it's side and her dresser pulled from the wall.

"Alex." Zac said. "He must have run out into the storm. A two year old in all that wind and rain?"

"I can't tell his mother her son's as good as dead." Alex said quickly. "Keep looking."

Alex felt that same current that told him to drive in the storm to Norma Bates' house keep pulling him to her bedroom closet.

"He's not there. We've both looked." Shelby told him.

Alex shook his head.  
"No." he said. "It doesn't add up. She was protecting this closet. She was protecting this closet with her life."

Romero opened the double doors to the closet again and pulled out Norma's dresses and other clothes. He took out her laundry hamper and pulled out her shoes.  
"Romero." Shelby said when Alex was back on his hands and knees feeling at the floor of the closet.

Alex's heart started to race when he felt the loosened floorboards at the back of the closet. He lifted up each piece of the wooden floor and found Norman was sleeping peacefully in a little nest of blankets his mother no doubt made for him. A little toy dog was nestled in his arms. The toddler opened his eyes when Alex shone his flashlight on him.  
"Mo-her?" he asked weekly.

"It's okay, son." Alex breathed in relief. "I'm going to take you to see your mom."

He turned to Shelby.

"Grab a blanket! I have to take him through the kitchen and I don't want him to see the body." he ordered.

"Is he hurt?" Zac asked when Alex gently lifted Norman out of the confined space under the closet. "She hid him under the floor?"

"Her husband was beating her, Zac." Romero said. "She's a mother. A mother always protects her child first."

Norman eagerly latched onto the Deputy's body, no doubt in need of the warmth and security of another person. Romero wrapped the toddler up in the extra blanket and made sure to cover his face so he wouldn't have to see his father, dead on the kitchen floor.

Shelby went ahead and called for the waiting paramedics who were expecting to just find the body of Norman Bates this morning.

 **I know that no one wanted Norman to live, but he's just a baby right now. Hopefully, now that history is being rewritten, Norman will be alright.**

 **Thank you all for the feedback. It really makes me happy that this story is being enjoyed after such a traumatic season finale.**

 **If you have any special requests for Normero, Norma or Alex, something you would have liked to have seen on the show, please let me know and I will try to work it in the story.**


	14. Chapter 14

14,

~ Norma woke up in the hospital. She didn't know then that she had endured surgery to fix her broken arm. Didn't understand right away that it had been so badly broken, to have required surgery. She didn't understand what had happened at all.

"Norma?" came a voice and she flinched at the sound.

Zac Shelby's face swam out of her blurred vision and she felt oddly afraid of him.

"Don't. Don't hurt us. Please." she whimpered and tried to move away.

"Norma, I'd never hurt you." Zac whispered. "You're safe now. I'm right here."

His hands were on hers then and they were gentle. Her eyes focused on his face and the idea of the man behind the face came back to her.

"Zac." she spat out.

"Yes, baby." he said kindly. His face looked relived she recognized him.

"Dylan. Where's Dylan? Is he with you?" she asked. A sickly panic was flooding her body.

"Dylan is fine. He's fine." Zac promised quickly.

Norma's mind was racing. A horrible pain in her arm was making it hard to concentrate.

"Wait. Wait." she panted from the pain. "Norman? Norman. I hid him. I hid him."

"We found him." Zac said quickly. "Norman is perfectly safe. He didn't see anything."

"Nurse!" barked another voice that was bossy and almost menacing.

Norma was still holding Zac's hand when she saw Romero enter her hospital room. He looked angry, but she knew that was nothing new. When the nurse hurried in behind him, he pointed to Norma.

"This woman is in pain, she needs her medication. Now." Romero ordered.

"I'll have to find the doctor. She woke up sooner than expected." the nurse stammered.

"Then find him!" Romero commanded. "Now!"

The nurse hurried away and Norma winced as another wave of pain hit her. She squirmed uncomfortably in her hospital bed.

"Don't worry, they're getting you something for the pain." Zac was saying.

Norma wasn't listing to him though. She found it hard to breathe. Romero stepped closer to her bed and she let go of Zac to reach for him. She only had the one arm to work with, and Deputy Romero, safe and secure as always, took her hand.

She felt the smoothed over calluses of Romero's fingers and palms hold her steady when she tried to move to a less painful position.

"It was Sam." she gasped. "He just showed up at the house."

"I know." Romero whispered. "It's over now."

"He did this!" Norma cried pitifully. She was ashamed of her tears, but couldn't make them stop.

She saw, even with her blurred vision, Romeo give Zac a hard look to leave. She felt Zac lean over her and kiss her cheek. She winced slightly at the contact, even though it was gentle.  
"I'll be right outside." he whispered. "I'll check on the boys to."

Both Norma and Romero were silent till Shelby left. As soon as they were alone, Norma started to talk.

"I should have listened to you. I should have signed the restraining order like you said. I'm so sorry." she cried.

Romero kept her hand safely locked in his. His grasp was stronger than Shelby's and yet, fell short of being too hard.

"Don't apologize." he told her. "I should have protected you better. I'm the one who's sorry."

Norma felt the pain and the grief pull her body apart. She gasped and held fast to his hand to help ease the strain. Romero let her hold onto him like a lifeline. Recognizing she needed him, if only for this.

"It was so stupid to let him in the house. I'm so stupid." she said once the pain eased a little.

"Never call yourself that again." Romero ordered. It was the same tone he used to talk the nurse. A command that had to be obeyed. "He did this to you. You did nothing wrong."

She didn't believe him. But she wanted to.

"Are you sure Dylan and Norman are okay?" she asked weakly.  
"I just got back from where they are." Romero told her. His perpetually sad eyes fixed on hers so she knew he told the truth. "I found Norman under the floor of your closet where you hid him. He's fine and doesn't seem to remember a thing. Dylan saw my SUV and waved me down. He saved your life. I think Sheriff Wilson want's to give him a special award."

Norma couldn't register the idea of her oldest getting an award or saving her life. The pain was back. It tore through her body like a tiger.

"Oh!" she cried out. She was breathing heavy like she was in labor.

"The doctor is coming with some pain meds, Norma." Romero told her. His face showing sympathy to her ordeal as he kept her hand firmly in his.

"Oh! At least Sam's in jail right?" she gasped. "You have evidence to put him away for good?"

Alex looked away. His faithful gaze that never lied to her before seemed to falter.

"Alex?" she asked. She had never used his first name before, but felt like now was the right time to start.

"Sam Bates is dead." he told her at last.

Norma swallowed hard. She knew what happened then. It was written plainly on his face.

"You kill him?" she asked in a whisper.

Alex finally looked back at her. The truth was there and yet, there was no remorse for Sam Bates in his eyes.

"I'm glad." she breathed. "Thank you."

Alex nodded. His eyes never leaving hers until the doctor and Sheriff Wilson arrived in her room.  
"Mrs. Bates? You're in pain?" the doctor asked.

"Yes!" Norma spat angrily. She had a death lock on Alex with her good hand. His fingers turning slightly white at her abuse.

"Well, you've had a compound break on your arm that required surgery and several pins put in. Also, some broken ribs and extensive bruising." the doctor explained.

"Please!" Norma shouted. "I need something for the pain! NOW!"

The doctor seemed a little startled by her ordering him about, but was quick to nod and produce a syringe for her IV.

Wilson stepped forward to her.

"Before the drugs kick in, I need to ask you what happened, Mrs. Bates." the Sheriff said.

"My… my estranged husband showed up at my house unannounced. He told me he taking me back to Arizona." Norma gasped. "When I said no, he started… hitting me. He was going to kill me. I hid my son Norman under the floor of my closet. But my other son Dylan ran away."

"Your boys are both safe, Mrs. Bates." Sheriff Wilson assured her. "But I need to ask you some more questions."

The drugs were working quickly. Norma felt the pain that gripped her loosen and she likewise relaxed her hold on Alex's hand. She had to make Sheriff Wilson understand. Alex couldn't get into trouble for killing Sam. Sam Bates wasn't worth it.  
"My husband was going to… he was going to kill me." she cried. The drugs were making her feel slow and stupid. "He said he was going to kill me and my sons. He tried to kill… to kill all of us. We would be dead… we would all be dead… if… if…"

She remembered nothing else. A warm darkness took her under and she felt Alex let her go.

~ When she woke up again, her whole body felt heavy, but really good. She heard smacking from nearby and saw Sybil Lawson sitting next to her eating fried chicken.

"Is this real?" Norma asked, then wondered if she had said that out loud. She felt slightly stoned and wasn't sure if the bug eyed woman wasn't just apart of it.

"For the third time, **yes**." Sybil sighed. "You've been in and out all day from the drugs they gave you. Whatever it is, I want some."

Norma grinned. She had no idea what her grandmother was saying.

"You're eyes are really big." she told her social worker.

"You told me that already to." Sybil sighed. "I brought you some chicken. You said you were hungry."

"Okay." Norma sighed contentedly.

She looked down at her arm.

"I broke my arm." she told the older woman with mild indifference.

"Your late husband broke your arm, dear." Sybil told her.

"What is he late for?" Norma asked curiously.

Sybil grinned with her nicotine stained teeth.  
"Sam broke into you house a few days ago and tried to kill you, Norma." the older woman said. "Eat your lunch. You haven't been awake enough to put anything in your stomach and with the drugs you've been talking crazy."

"Crazy? I'm not crazy." Norma said. She took a piece of warm bread and started eating it. It felt good to eat something.

"Well, you told Zac Shelby he was a pretty girl earlier this morning." Sybil laughed. "The poor young man brought you flowers and everything. He looked so worried about you and you just smiled and said he was the prettiest girl you'd ever seen."

"Oh." Norma said. She was eating her chicken a small piece at a time. It was hard to eat with one hand.

"Who is Zac Shelby?" she asked.

"I think, that he thinks, that he's your boyfriend. He looks a little too young in my opinion." Sybil huffed. "I know I need a man with experience. I'm not about to teach the guy anything. He better go in there knowing what to do, or he's out."

She waved her hand like an umpire calling a hitter out.

"Oh." Norma said.

"I told Little Bear what you said to Shelby and I don't think I've ever seen that man so happy since before his mother died." Sybil went on.

"Bears. I like bears." Norma said lazily. "His mother died?"

"Yes." Sybil nodded. "Little Bear did a number on your estranged husband alright. Took crime scene forever to get all that blood up."

"Oh no." Norma said in a high voice of sympathy. "What happened?"

"Sam tried to attack Little Bear, oh sorry, Deputy Romero. And Alex shot him three times." Sybil explained. She held up three fingers for Norma to see.

Norma lazily picked at her chicken and wondered if there was more bread.

"It was ruled self defense by the DA, and I think Alex is getting a commendation from the mayor or some such nonsense." Sybil sighed. "How stupid do you have to be to attack a cop after nearly killing your wife? If there was one thing I learned in the 60's, it's cops don't like it when you jump 'em."

"You're only 60? You look a lot older." Norma said innocently.  
Sybil grinned.  
"Well, at least I don't look as bad as you, sweetheart." she said with a laugh. "That bastard really did a number on your face. But, they had a plastic surgeon come in and he said there is no permanent damage. Once the swelling goes down, you'll be fine."

"Okay. I love you, grandma." Norma sighed.

Sybil smiled.

"You've been telling everyone you love them all day, Norma." she said. "I heard you told Little Bear how much you loved him when he came with the Sheriff earlier."

"Well, I do. I love bears." Norma admitted. She felt emotion well up inside her and started to cry. "I love them so much!"

She started to cry and felt Sybil's arms around her.

"Now, now." she whispered in Norma's ear. "You've been crying and telling everyone that sees you that you love them. Stoned people always tell the truth, and we all believe you love us, so no more tears, okay?"

Norma breathed in the smell of cigarettes on Sybil's clothes and felt comforted. She sniffed back the wave of tears.

"I want to go home." she admitted.

"You're going home soon." Sybil told her. "You'll be glad to know that your hospital bill has been paid in full."

Norma wiped he eyes with her free hand and looked at her tray of food. When did she order fried chicken?

"Our local no-do-gooder, because he's a giant asshole, Bob Paris made a big deal about it. Made the papers and everything. Says he wants to do more to help battered women. Hey, it's free money, kid." Sybil told her.  
"I have mashed potatoes." Norma told the older woman with a smile.

~ Alex had left Norma's hospital room feeling more amused than worried that afternoon. Sybil had swooped in like a large, mother bird and made sure that the boys were taken care of by a family she trusted and that Norma's hospital bill wouldn't be an issue. The old woman casually dropping hints that none other than Bob Paris would foot the bill when they ran into her outside Norma's recovery room.

"Why?" Alex asked when she told them about her plan for Bob Paris.

"Because of his latest sex scandal." Sybil shrugged. "He wants to get back in good with the voters, Little Bear, and the election is coming up. This will win it for him."

"I don't know if it's a good idea to have Bob Paris elected to city council." Alex admitted.

"Nothing he's ever done has been for the good of this town." Wilson agreed.

"Well, he's going to pay for it." Sybil told the men. "Every man's actions has consequences and I keep tabs on all of them."

She looked at Alex skeptically. Romero sensed that she knew things she shouldn't. Which was just like Sybil.  
"It seems you were quite heroic the night of the storm, Little Bear." she told him. "Rescuing a battered woman and even finding that small child everyone thought was dead. I heard from several reliable sources that you looked very handsome carrying that poor baby to the ambulance. Wish I could have seen it."

Alex rolled his eyes.  
"Personally, I like the shooting the son-of-whore husband best of all. Although the newspaper downplayed that part." she told him.

"Mrs. Lawson, a cop never enjoys having to kill another human being." Sherif Wilson reminded her.

"Well, I certainly would if I were a cop. I'd probably keep a scrapbook of all my kills. Especially the wife beaters who deserve it." she told them smartly.

"Is Norma Bates awake yet? Do you know?" Alex asked her. He wasn't interested in Sybil's morbid mind games.

"She's be dozing off and on all morning. They have her on some good drugs so she's a little out of it, but I'm sure she'll want to talk to you." Sybil grinned at the both of them. Obviously the old woman knew something they didn't know and was going to enjoy them finding out.

"What?" Alex asked.

"Nothing. Norma said she was hungry, so I'm going to get her something to eat. I'll be back soon. Have fun you two." she told them.

~ When Alex saw Norma in her hospital room, he felt slightly sick. Her once beautiful face had turned a dark black from the bruising she had endured. Her damaged side was almost unrecognizable and he was glad Sybil said there would be no permeant damage to those delicate features he admired.

She opened her eyes as soon as they came in and lifted her head up.  
"I know you." she smiled and Alex winced at the split lip and swollen eye.  
She reached for him with her good hand he gladly took it.  
"How are you feeling, Mrs. Bates?" Wilson asked.

"All over the bedroom." Norma told Alex with a sigh of frustration. "Dylan just opened this bag of flour all over the bedroom. He was mad at me and that's what he did. I don't know how I'm going to clean it up."

Alex stared at her for a moment in confusion. Obviously the drugs were working.  
"Oh, no." he said to her; trying not to laugh.

"Mrs. Bates?" Wilson asked.

She ignored the older man and grasped Alex's hand more firmly.

"My grandmother just left, did you see her? I think she's been smoking again and she knows she's not supposed to." Norma implored him.

"I won't tell anyone." Alex promised quickly.

"We can't tell **anyone**." Norma whispered earnestly.

"I promise." Alex told her. He felt himself smile for the first time in a while at her drug induced innocence.  
"Oh, you're so much better looking when you smile." she told him honestly.

"Really?" he teased. "Was I that bad before?"

"Yes."

Alex had to fight hard to not laugh.

"Mrs. Bates we can come back later when you're more yourself." Wilson told her.

"Oh." she sighed heavily. She looked at Alex and squeezed his hand. "Okay, goodbye. I love you."

"Thank you." Alex said and caught Sheriff Wilson's glare that told him to stop grinning.

Romero pried off Norma's fingers and the two men wished her a good day.

In the parking lot they found Sybil had returned with Norma's lunch. She teased them for a while about Alex's commendation and then confessed to him how Norma had told Zac Shelby he was a pretty girl that morning.

That news, more that anything else, made Romero's day.

 **Okay. So, the last part of this chapter is my LEAST favorite because it's kinda mushy and silly. BUT, I wanted to do it because after all the drama, there should be a little silliness. Besides, the 'I love you' Norma said to Alex doesn't count because she was drugged. I want to draw them out as long as possible.**


	15. Chapter 15

15.

~ Norma had her youngest son in the bed with her. Dylan had long ago refused to sleep in the same bed as his mother. He'd been so independent right from birth. In truth, Norma wondered if she had coddled her oldest more, he would have been more affectionate. But her youngest thrived on affection from her. He seemed to need all her attention. It was a comfort to haver little Norman in her arms again. Well, her one arm. Her baby boy was content with staying in bed with her as long as she needed him to. He seemed to understand that his job was to give his mother all his love and to be his sweet and charming self. It was a job the toddler was good at.

Sybil had taken her home the day before and the house felt different now. Like it had been violated by what happened.

There had been a clean up crew that put the house back in order. According to Sybil, the Sheriff's department had done a number on the place looking for the missing Norman Bates.

Norma noticed the peeling linoleum of her kitchen floor had all been taken up as well.

"Evidence." Sybil had explained. "Don't worry, Zac Shelby is coming by later this week to put down new flooring.

"Is this where Sam died?" Norma asked. She still felt groggy and drugged, but was glad she was able to walk without much help now.

"I guess." Sybil said casually. "Why else would they take the flooring?"

Norma nodded. She was glad to be getting a new kitchen floor out of the deal.

"Alex isn't in trouble is he? For shooting Sam? He was defending me." Norma told Sybil for what must have been the hundredth time.

"No. Not at all." Sybil said. "Justifiable shooting. Little Bear is fine."

She had guided Norma to her bedroom.

"You take a nap, dear. I can watch the boys when they get here." she said.

Norma closed her eyes at seeing her bedroom again. She didn't remember much about what Sam did to her here, but she knew it had been bad.

"Where are the boys?" Norma asked.

"My friend Paula is bringing them over now. She's an excellent mother and grandmother. I promise they've been spoiled rotten the whole time you've been in the hospital." Sybil assured her.

"Can Norman stay with me?" Norma asked.

Sybil nodded with understanding.

"It's always good to hug your baby while he's still a baby." she said gently.

The older woman covered her up for a nap and Norma was reminded that her own mother had never tucked her in like this. Never taken care of her this well. Never made her feel safe and looked after.

"Sybil?" she called out when the older woman was about to leave the room. Sybil turned and looked back.  
"Yes, dear?" she asked.

"Thank you. Thank you for all you've done for us. My own family wouldn't have looked after us better than you." Norma said honestly. She felt tears sting her eyes and true love for this funny little woman grow stronger by the second.

"It's what I do, dear." Sybil said with a shrug. "I'm the baddest bitch in town and as long as I protect those who need it most, maybe I'll get into heaven."

Norma smiled, but was asleep before she could think of something to say.

~ Alex knew that now was the time to stay away from Pine Valley Lane. He had received his commendation from the mayor, survived the investigation by the DA with ease, and was a hero in the department for not only saving Norma Bates, but finding her infant son when most of them had been convinced he was dead.

But Alex knew that Wilson suspected something wasn't right. He could tell by the way he looked at him. The way the Sheriff made sure all the paper work on the shooting was complete and matched up perfectly.

Wilson was protecting him from an internal investigation on the shooting of Sam Bates. But it hurt to know that he suspected the truth. That Alex had shot and killed a man out of malice, not self defense.

Sybil had phoned Romero at home and told him that she was checking Norma Bates out of the hospital today. That the older woman would be staying with her for a few days to make sure she could handle the young boys and herself with her injuries. It was just like Sybil to take over when someone needed help. Perhaps it made the older woman happy. It was always good to feel needed.

Alex was just going to check on them, to make sure Sybil wasn't overwhelmed with the youngsters and an invalid to care for. That's all he was doing. Just checking on his old friend Sybil Lawson.

~ He found the front door open to let in the first real heat of summer. He could hear Sybil talking in the kitchen and found her at the table with Dylan and a deck of playing cards.

"Now, Dylan can you count to twenty-one?" she asked.

Dylan nodded eagerly although Romero was sure that the five year old might find the challenge a little daunting.

"Good, then you can play blackjack. The most important skill a man can have, is to be good at gambling." she told the little boy.

"Sybil?" Alex questioned. He doubted that Norma would want her son to learn to gamble.

"Hello, Little Bear." Sybil said with a smile.  
"What are you doing? You're teaching a five year old to play cards?" Alex accused.

"Well obviously." Sybil huffed. "Boy needs to have prospects."

"Where's Norma?" he asked.

"In her room. I think she's awake." Sybil told him.

The older woman turned back to Dylan.

"Now the most important thing is you never hit on a seventeen. Got that?" she told the boy. "Only an idiot hits on a seventeen."

Alex would deal with Sybil later. He went to the back bedroom to find Norma Bates in bed with her youngest child. The toddler was curled to her chest in sheer contentment, but his mother was awake and sitting up.

"Norma?" Alex asked when he saw her. She turned to look at him, but her face was heavy and sad. She was in her night clothes and it was clear she hadn't so much as brushed her hair today. The bruising on her face were still there, and it was shocking to see her now compared to how she looked before all this happened.

"How are you feeling?" he asked and stopped short of coming too close to her bed.

"How do I look?" she asked bitterly.

Alex felt a pain stab through him. Guilt that he hadn't come to her rescue sooner.  
"Thank you, by the way." she said. "They told me you were the one who found Norman."

"It was smart to hide him." Alex told her. "I was surprise he slept through the whole thing."

She sniffed and rubbed the back side of good her hand on her nose. She must have been crying earlier.

"I gave him some cough syrup. It always knocks him out. I haven't had to do that since before we came here. Whenever Sam was being… I know it's wrong to drug him like that. But I didn't want him to hear what was happening. If he cried…" she explained sadly.

Romero nodded.

"He was checked out at the hospital. Doctors said he was fine. No harm done, and you did what you had to do." he told her.

"Dylan was hiding and I made sure Sam stayed focused on me and not the boys. I made sure he stayed mad at only me. If Sam was hurting me, at least he wasn't hurting my children." Norma said. She ran her fingers through her child's hair. Alex could feel the hurt inside him grow.

"If Sam had hurt my son… if her had killed my babies… I wouldn't survive it." Norma said sadly. "I wouldn't want to."

"Your boys are fine. Dylan was very brave." Alex said again. "I think Sheriff Wilson is trying to talk him into becoming a cop one day."

He'd hope that telling Norma that would provoke her a little. Rouse that fire in her eyes he admired.

She said nothing. Her hands smoothing over Norman's hair. Her eyes blank and sad.

"You know, Sybil is with Dylan now. They're in the kitchen. She's teaching him to play blackjack." Alex told her. "She's teaching him to gamble."

Norma's face was like stone and Alex was reminded of how his own mother was towards the end. The depression, the void she had slipped into. How she couldn't get out of bed and how she didn't care about anything anymore.

"Norma, you're going to make it out of this. Give it some time. You're going to be okay." Alex told her.

"You think so? You think I'm going to be okay?" she asked and her eyes went to him at last.

~ "Now that's eleven." Sybil told Dylan. "Always hit on an eleven. Now what do you need to make twenty-one?"

Dylan grinned.

"You need a ten. Now where is that ten?" Sybil flipped a card. "Damn, a six. Now that makes seventeen and you always stay at seventeen."

"Sybil, can you watch Norma for a little longer? Make sure she gets out of bed today?" Alex asked coming back into the kitchen. Before he gave the older woman a chance to answer, he moved over to Dylan.

"Son, I think it's time we took the boat out on the bay." he told the child.  
"Really?" Dylan asked eagerly.

"It's almost noon, Little Bear. Isn't that too late to catch anything?" Sybil asked.

"We'll be fine." Alex assured her. "Come on."

Dylan happily took his hand and tried to race out to the SUV before Alex pulled him back.

"What do I tell Norma? Did you get her permission?" Sybil asked.

Alex turned back to her, Dylan jumping up and down excitedly.

"Just make sure Norma gets out of bed soon. Make sure she gets a shower and eats something." Alex ordered.

~ Dylan turned out to be a good student in the art of fishing. Alex took the boy to Wilson's house where he knew the Sheriff wasn't at home today. His wife let hime take the boat and Dylan watched with interest as Alex showed him how to hook it up to the SUV, and later launch it in the water.  
"Dylan, the most important thing about fishing in a boat is to keep your buddy with you." Alex told him. He was latching a child's size life vest onto Dylan's small body. The storm had made the bay a beautiful deep blue and there were dozens of boats out enjoying the sunshine.

"You are my buddy and that means you stay close to me. Got it?" Alex added.

"Got it." Dylan promised. "Do we use worms?"

"No, we used tackle." Alex said with a smile at the child's eagerness. "It works better. Let me show you how to dress the hook and then you try."

Romero had been impressed with how patient the little boy was when it came to dressing a hook. His small fingers making sure the line was secure on the tackle Alex knew would surely catch something. The little boy wanted to learn and be good at this.

"What kinds of fish are we going to catch?" he asked hopefully.

"I don't know, that's what we're going to find out." Alex told him. "Now I want you to toss your line out into the water like this."

He gently flicked the pole back, and then forward. It made a perfect edie on the water when it hit.

Dylan copied him and almost lost the bait.

~ It had been a pleasant afternoon. Dylan had remained quite and focused on the goal in front of him. Romero had felt slightly awkward around the boy as the hours slipped by. After all, the last time they were alone together, his mother was almost killed and his step father was shot dead.

As if sensing his thoughts, Dylan spoke.  
"Is my mom going to be okay?" he asked.

Alex reeled his line in a little and Dylan copied him.

"Yes. She's going to be fine. Women are a lot stronger than we give them credit for. They can survive things us men can't." he told him.

"Us men are stronger than girls." Dylan argued.

Alex nodded.

"Sometimes." he admitted. "But women like your mom can deal with bad things better. Sometimes, women are a lot braver then us men."

Dylan nodded when Romero did. The child mirroring his actions as if in continual study on how to me a man.

~ Alex brought Dylan home before nightfall. He had treated himself and boy to dinner at the local burger joint in celebration of Dylan catching a good sized fish before it swam away with the bait.

"When can we go again?" the child asked happily.

"Soon. Maybe we can take your mom with us." Alex told him.  
"No." Dylan snapped. "Just us men. No girls."

Romero smiled. A part of him felt flattered at the child's willing acceptance of him.

"We'll see, Dylan." he told the boy.

~ "Where the hell have you been?" Norma snapped as soon as Alex walked into the house with Dylan.

She was up and dressed with her hair freshly washed under the instructions of Sybil. It was embarrassing how long it took her to realize Dylan wasn't in the house. When Sybil told her that her son was with Romero, she flew into a near panic.

She wasn't used to not being able to account for her children at all times.

Alex looked surprised at her anger. His eyes wide like a deer in the headlights to find her upset.

"We… we were in the bay. Fishing." he explained with a slight stutter.

"You didn't get my permission!" Norma spat.

She looked over her oldest and saw he had a slight sunburn on his nose.

"You were out on the water? Dylan can't even swim! What if he fell in?" she huffed. She felt a trust had been painfully broken between them.

"He was fine." Alex insisted. "He was with me the whole time. He wore a life vest."

Romero's indifferent attitude angered Norma even more.  
"You took my child out of my home without my permission. You took him out on a boat where he could have drowned. How could you do that?" she accused.  
"Norma." Sybil tried to sooth her.  
"After everything I've been through the past few days, how could you do that to me?" Norma demanded.

Her old friend, that horrible, irrational anger told her everyone meant to hurt her, to do her wrong. That black bird that perched itself on her shoulder came back louder than ever. She found herself listening to the bad thoughts in her head.  
"I thought you could use a break from the boys." Alex told her. "You looked a little depressed."

"So your solution was to kidnap my child?" Norma accused.

"No one kidnapped anyone." Alex spat back.

"And why are you judging how I feel anyway? You don't know me." she told him harshly.

"Stop it, both of you. We have little ears here." Sybil said.

The older woman stepped between them and Norma saw Dylan's face was worried.

"I'm sorry, mom." the child offered sadly.  
"It's not your fault. Go to your room. I'll call you when dinner's ready." she told him.

"I'm not hungry. We had hamburgers and milkshakes." Dylan confessed.

Norma, a new reason to be angry, glared at Romero who didn't bother to look innocent.

When the little boy was out of ear shot, Sybil finally spoke.

"Now, I thought Alex had cleared the fishing trip with you and it was just a miscommunication." Sybil explained gently.

"No, it wasn't." Norma argued.

"No harm is done and it won't happen again." Sybil went on.

"Damn right it won't!" Norma agreed.

She noticed Alex looked hurt by her anger, but that twisted bird that sat on her shoulder wouldn't let go. She refused to back down. Refuse to give an inch where her sons were concerned. Even to the man who saved all their lives.

"Look, I appreciate everything you've done for us. I really do. I'm grateful everyday, but I think you should stay away from now on." Norma told him.

She saw his eyes soften, but his face remained like stone.

"Okay." he said gently. "Goodbye, Norma."


	16. Chapter 16

16.

~ "I want you to forgive Little Bear, Norma." Sybil said a few days later. "He's not used to all the rules involving children and over protective mothers. He was trying to help you and Dylan."

The older woman was assisting Norma with getting dressed. It was hard with such a badly broken arm to do even the simplest things.  
"I forgive him." Norma sighed when Sybil zipped up the blue dress she had bought for summer. "But I still don't think it's a good idea for him to… well for him to come around after what happened. It might upset the boys."

"I don't think Dylan is too upset." Sybil admitted. "He's more upset that he can't go out fishing anymore."

"God, what is with this town and fishing?" Norma sighed. "If it's so important, I can ask Zac to take us. He's been looking for something we can all do together."

Zac Shelby had been spending a lot of time at the house since Norma came home from the hospital. He had heroically laid down new linoleum in her kitchen and even in the bathroom. He had insisted on cooking dinner for them and made sure the boys were careful when they hugged and kissed their mother with her injuries.

"You know that no one is ever going to hurt you again, right?" he told her once the boys were in their room for the night.

Norma shifted uncomfortably on the couch next to him.  
"You know I won't let anyone hurt you." he promised.

"No, I…. no I know, Zac." Norma said and wished he would go home already so she could take her pain medication and go to sleep.

She had been too long away from work now and felt she was going stir crazy in this house with not being able to take care of herself. She couldn't even drive anywhere because of the medication. She didn't need Zac Shelby romantically telling her he was going to keep her safe. She needed her arm better and to be able to take a decent shower for a change.

"I just wish it had been me that shoot that asshole." Zac confessed. He put his arm around Norma's shoulder and pulled her to him. Forcing her to lean on his chest.

She felt slightly awkward in this position. Her bruises on her body were still bothering her and her arm was still in pain. But at least the bruises to her face were clearing up. She dreaded looking in the mirror at her face everyday. It got to the point she put newspaper over the bathroom mirror so she wouldn't have to look at Sam's handy work.

"Well, it's over now." Norma told him. She didn't want to talk about Sam anymore and she felt perfectly safe in her own home without Zac there. Shelby was always telling her how she was safe with him in the house. Every night he was over it was the same thing. Telling her he would keep her safe and how he wished that he had killed Sam. How the boys were going to have a positive man in their lives from now on. Zac insisted on sleeping over, but didn't take any liberties with her because of her injuries. Her arm and her bruises seemed to do a good job of scaring him out of touching her too much.

Norma was glad he didn't want to make much physical contact. She found that she didn't like being touched, except by her sons, these days. But soon enough, when her bruises healed and her arm was better, she knew Zac wouldn't want to hear no. He was young and eager for sexual gratification. His hand was always going up her legs. She could always feel a hunger coming from him that she didn't know how to control.

That, and the fact Zac was spending the night without her asking him to. She knew it he might not even listen if she told him no.

It was all happening too fast. Norma's husband was barely dead a week and why did it feel like she was already married? She had spent all this time proving to herself that she was capable and in the span of one week, she was practically living with a new man.

' _You're such a disappointment_.' that black bird on her shoulder told her. ' _You just can't live without a man, can you? Just like your mother. You'll let Zac do anything he wants to you. As long as he doesn't leave you, you'll do anything he wants. Just like your mother. Better load up on these pain pills, stupid. You're going to be drugged up for a long time. Just like your mother.'_

~ Alex knew what Wilson wanted to see him about as soon as he got the message to go to his office.

"Sheriff?" Romero asked and Wilson waved him in.

"Come in, Deputy." the older man said and Alex knew then that it was all business.

Alex sat down in front of Wilson and braced himself for the worst.

"I had a long talk with Sybil about an hour ago. Seems you visited Mrs. Bates a few days ago and took her son out fishing." Wilson said.

"I did." Alex admitted freely. He wondered if Sybil had reported how angry Norma had been. If she had mentioned that Norma hadn't said it was alright to take the boy like he did.

"You understand how that looks. Right?" Wilson told him. "You shot and killed her husband and now you're just stopping by to check on her? You're spending time with her kids? There is no way I can spin that so that it doesn't look like you murdered a man to get with his wife."

"That's not what happened." Alex said quickly.

Too quickly. The deputy started to grind his teeth so he wouldn't say more. His jaw working slightly in annoyance at himself.

"That's how people in this town will talk. You know that, Alex." Wilson said calmly. "You and I both know you must have been driving by her house for a while before this happened. You knew where she lived and for whatever reason, you drove there the night of the storm. You had been drinking, I could smell it on your breath. Sam Bates was unarmed and you had no injures at all. No witnesses to say he ever touched you or your life was in danger. I know he deserved what he got. I'm not saying that you weren't right to kill him after what he did to that poor woman, but you look like you're trying to make time with what is in fact, a grieving widow her sons. I can't have that Alex. It's too messy. You know I'm right."

Alex was breathing hard. He didn't like the truth that Wilson had just given him. But at least his old friend knew everything. Knew what Alex had done. What made it even worse was that Alex knew Wilson was right. He couldn't see Norma Bates or her sons anymore. The whole situation was far too complicated.

"I understand, Tom." Alex said at last. He felt his voice quiver slightly.

"Good man." Wilson told him. "I know you feel for this woman. You have more compassion than you like people to think. But you need to think about yourself just now. Norma Bates and her boys will be fine. The last thing you need is an internal investigation on the shooting."

~ Norma had enough of being helpless. She had told Sybil the night before that she could have the day off. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and Norma decided that she needed to get groceries.

It wasn't easy to shower and dress herself. Dylan had to help zip up her dress in back. A thing the five year old didn't seem to enjoy at all.  
"Mom, when's your arm gonna get better?" he complained loudly when Norma couldn't even put her shoes on without his help.

"A few more weeks, honey." she told him. "Trust me it's more trouble for me than it is for you."

"Deputy Romero says girls are stronger than boys." Dylan said.  
"Oh, did he?" Norma asked feeling a mild annoyance at the mention of Alex Romero. "What else did Deputy Romero say?"

"That you were going to be okay. I was scared you were gonna be sick for a long time and he said you were strong. But I'm still scared sometimes. At night." her son told her.

Norma felt a little pain in her heart go off because of Dylan. At the same time she felt grateful Alex had told the child she would be fine and not to worry.

"Dylan, you know that what happened that night, your step dad coming and hurting me, that it's never going to happen again. You know that, right?" she asked him.

Dylan looked sad, but nodded.

"Sam is dead and he can never hurt us again." Norma told him.

"The kids at little league told me Deputy Romero shot him." Dylan said.

Norma took in a deep breath.  
"Well, he did." she admitted. "Does that scare you? That Deputy Romero shot Sam? That he killed him?" she asked.

She sat on the bed beside her son and looked him over worriedly. Trying to understand what kind of trauma her oldest had been through.

"No. I like Deputy Romero. He only shoots the bad guys. I'm not a bad guy." Dylan said simply.

"So why are you scared at night?" Norma asked.

Dylan shrugged and looked at his shoes.

"At night, I think about Deputy Romero coming here. That he would make me not feel scared. That he would give me his jacket and tell me what to do to make it okay." Dylan confessed.

"Why are you scared now, honey?" Norma asked him. "Sam is gone. No one can hurt you."

Dylan looked away.

"I know. But…"

"But what?"

"I just wish that Coach Shelby would stay at his own house."

"You don't like Coach Shelby being here?" she asked.

"I don't want him to be here at night." Dylan told her.

"You don't like that your mom has a friend who stays the night?" she asked. "Maybe you're just not used to having another person in the house."

Dylan was silent. He refused to look at his mother.

"You know, Coach Shelby works for the police. Just like Deputy Romero. You can feel safe with him when he's here. Can't you?" she asked.

She felt her son was going to tell her something important. She pulled him closer to her and waited. She didn't want to break the spell.

"I don't like the way Coach Shelby comes in my room at night." Dylan finally whispered.

~ Alex had never liked going to the grocery store for anything. He normally went early in the morning or just before the store closed. For some reason, he always felt like people were judging him on his purchases of TV dinners, lunch meat, bread, and cheap shampoo. He reeked of the single life in a world of domestic perfectionists. He'd never learned to cook other than grilling during the summer months. He had no interest in entertaining at his home. Occasionally, Wilson and his wife had him over for dinner, but most nights, Alex ate alone while watching TV. The nights when he wasn't working that is. Those nights he ate fast food and worked out the calories at the gym. He'd always been blessed with a good metabolism but he knew he couldn't eat like this forever.

"Please tell me that's not your dinner." a familiar voice accused when he was looking over a new item in the frozen foods section.

Alex felt his eyes roll in annoyance. He could just see her now. See her pretty face looking disgusted at his food choices. He turned around and wasn't disappointed.  
"Norma Bates." he sighed. "How are you?"

He was right about her to the last detail. She **did** have a disgusted look on her face. Little Norman sat in the shopping cart facing his mother. Dylan hung on the side and gave him a wave which he nodded in return.

"You don't eat those things do you?" Norma Bates asked up. Her nose crinkling and she lifted up one of the boxes he was holding.

Alex pulled it away from her and refused to answer.

"You look a lot better." he made a movement on his own face to show that her bruises were healing at last.

"Thank you." she told him. "Alex, those TV dinners are so bad for you. How can you eat them? It's not even real food."

Alex was about to tell her off for her comments on what he chose to eat. It wasn't normal for the average person to pick apart the eating habits of someone they didn't know that well.  
"It's fine, Mrs. Bates." he said in frustration. He couldn't tell her what her really thought in front of the boys. Not in a crowded super market either.

"It's not fine. You're going to have a heart attack eating like that." Norma accused sharply.

Alex felt people were looking at them and wished she would stop.

"Why don't you come over to my house? I can fix you a nice dinner." she offered. "Or I can make you something that will keep so you don't have to eat that."

Alex looked at her in shock. She must be losing her mind. It hadn't even been a few days since she yelled at him for taking Dylan on the bay and told him to stay away.

"That's… that's not going to happen, Mrs. Bates." he said firmly. The last thing he needed was Wilson getting wind of him eating dinner at Norma's house.

"You can come over!" Dylan said quickly.

"No, that's alright." Alex told him.

He turned to Norma and spoke to her.

"I think, given all that's happened, it's best that I not come by." he told her. "Ever."

She looked a little hurt by what he said and he was about to walk away. It was good to rip that band-aide off now. She had to know that it wasn't normal for the man who shot and killed her husband to be having dinner with her and the boys.

"Alex, wait." she said quickly.

He turned back and felt real frustration at her never ending insistence. Why couldn't she just let this drop? Why was she so hard headed and contrary?

She did looked worried though. Even scared. She stepped close to him and seemed to have trouble speaking. Like she had forgotten what she wanted to say.

"Look, I'm sorry I got so upset about Dylan and the fishing. I know you were trying to be nice. I appreciate it. It's just, after what happened, finding out your child wasn't in the house…" she explained in a hushed voice.

Alex put a hand up.

"It's fine, Mrs. Bates." he said.

"Norma. Please." she insisted.

He refused to answer.

"Look, I need to talk to you." she whispered.

"Arn't we talking now?" he asked.

"No, not like this. We need to talk alone." she whispered urgently.

Alex shook his head.  
"Please? It's important." she told him.

"Norma, I can't be seen with you. It looks bad." he tried to explain.

"No one will see us. Can you just meet me somewhere? Someplace to talk? Please?" she asked.

Alex couldn't pull himself away from her gaze. Her eyes had seemed to change color again. They were the same blue of the sky in winter.

"Okay." he said gently. "Where are we going?"


	17. Chapter 17

17.

~ Off the old highway there was a secluded road Alex knew no one ever came down, or saw from a distance. His SUV was parked there that evening and hidden from view by clusters of trees and overgrown bushes.

He half expected Norma to not show up. It would be better if she didn't. He didn't know what was happening in her life just now, but he was sure it wasn't his place to get involved. If this had anything to do with Shelby and her relationship with him, he would leave. He wasn't her girlfriend or even a real friend that she could talk to about these kinds of things.

He saw the headlights of the old Buick shine through the tress though. He was glad she at least had the sense to replace the older lights.

She slammed her breaks and killed the engine. Her lights shutting off and plunging them back in the dark. Norma Bates obviously wasn't adept at covertness because she clumsily stumbled out of the Buick, her seatbelt getting caught in the sling she still had to wear because of her arm. She stood up, dropped her keys on the ground, cursed loudly, picked them up, slammed the car door with her skirt caught in it, cursed again and had to unlock the door to free herself.

Alex sat in the drivers seat of his SUV and watched her later struggle. He felt slightly bad, with her broken arm and all, but it was mildly entertaining. Norma Bates had so much energy, he wondered if she ever felt relaxed at all.

When she was finally freed, she opened the passenger side of the SUV and got in.  
"What's the problem, Norma?" he asked.

"Why do you have to say it like that?" she asked hotly. "What ever happened to hello?"

"Hello. What's the problem, Norma?" he asked indifferently.

She smoothed down her hair with her good hand and took a deep breath.

"Listen, this is a very sensitive thing to talk about." she whispered. "I'm not really sure what too do in a situation like this."

"A situation like what?" he asked.

She wasn't looking at him.

"I thought about going to Sybil, but she would want to… want to do something drastic."

"Drastic?" Alex repeated. He was becoming annoyed that she wouldn't get to the point. "Drastic about what?"

"Zac Shelby has been coming over to my house. A lot." Norma admitted.

Alex felt himself sit up straiter. There it was. She wanted his advice about her love life.

"You know, I don't ask him to. He just comes over and he makes it so it's hard to ask him to leave. He stays overnight to."

Alex felt his teeth grinding.

"Nothing happens. He just wants to sleep in the same bed. I told him my arm still hurts. He's been a perfect gentleman to me." Norma insisted quickly. As if Alex cared who she slept with.

"Look, Norma." he managed to get out at last. His voice shaking slightly. "I'm not here for you to talk about your love life. I'm not that close to Zac Shelby either. If he told you we're friends, we're not. We just work together."

"Alex." Norma cut him off and he knew to take her seriously. Her voice was cold and sadder than he had ever heard before. He didn't like it when she said his name that way.

He looked back at her to see her body slightly hunched over. Her eyes on her hands which rested in her lap.

He looked at her slim fingers. Her perfectly formed nails that she didn't paint or try to embellish.

"What is it?" he asked at last.

"Dylan." she breathed and took in a long breath.

"What about Dylan?" he prompted.

Alex was forced to wait for her to find the right words.

"This morning." she said slowly. "Dylan told me he didn't like the way Zac came in his room at night."

Alex watched her as she spoke. Her face serious and frightened. It took him a moment to understand what she was trying to say.  
"Shelby has been going into Dylan's room at night?" Alex asked.

Norma nodded.

"That's what he told me." she said sadly.

"What has he been doing?" he asked.

Norma shook her head.

"I don't know, Dylan wouldn't tell me. Just that he's been scared because of it. He doesn't want Zac to be there anymore." she said.  
"Well, then. Tell Shelby to go home." Alex said bluntly. He wished he hadn't been so curt, but the solution was simple enough.  
"Alex, what if Zac has been molesting my children?" she hissed. "What if he's been doing it to the boys on the little league team he coaches?"

Alex felt a pressure in his chest that had nothing to do with eating unhealthy TV dinners.

"You have to tell Sybil what happened. She's a social worker. She knows how to handle this." he told her at last.

"Zac works for the police." Norma almost cried. "What if no one believes Dylan? What if Zac tries to come after us?"

Alex blinked and looked back at her desperate face. She had every reason to be worried and upset. She must have thought there would be no justice if the crime was done by a cop.

"I'm only telling you this because… because you've always… looked after us." she admitted.

Alex didn't want to do anything. He didn't want to be her white night. But when she so gently reminded him that he'd always looked after them, it was like something turned over in him. Like he was the better man because she came to him for help and no one else.

"Alright." he said at last. "I'll take care of it."

"Take care of it? Take care of it how?" she asked.

"I'll handle it." he explained.

"I want to trust you." she admitted sadly.  
"Then trust me." he interrupted. "Don't let Shelby stay the night anymore. I'll take care of the rest."

His voice was cold and he knew he was getting angry. He knew Norma and Dylan were telling the truth. Maybe that's what always bugged him about Shelby. Maybe deep down, Alex always knew something was off.

"Alright." Norma said with a shaky breath. She turned to get out of the car.  
"Norma?" he called back to her.  
She turned and he saw her face still looked scared.

"Don't worry." he offered. "But don't tell anyone you talked to me."

~ Alex debated for a long time on what to do and who to ask for help. It occurred to him briefly to go to Shelby's house, beat the shit out of him and warn him away from Norma and the boys or it would happen again.

That was how his father did things. The old bear would take a group of his most trusted deputies and clean house with those who were undesirable or destructive to the way things worked in White Pine Bay.

The bear was not above planting drugs, slashing tires or other means of intimidation on someone they wanted to see the last of. If that individual still hadn't complied, well, there were plenty of places to hide a body. Places where no one would ever find them.

Alex shook the idea from his mind. He'd been absentmindedly staring into space while at his desk that morning. His mind working over the perplexing problem Norma trusted him with. He didn't even notice Shelby had come in.  
"Alex?" Shelby asked.

Romero looked up in surprise at seeing Zac there. He still had trouble believing that this was the same person who might be molesting a young boy. He just didn't look the type.

"Are we heading out?" Zac asked.

"I have paper work to catch up on, Shelby." Romero said at last. "You'll be fine on your own today."

The younger man looked only slightly confused. But nodded and turned to leave for the days patrol.

Alex leaned back in his chair. He was damned every way he looked at this. He knew he couldn't get involved because of the shooting, but how could he not? What if it were true? What if Dylan and even little Norman were in danger? What about the kids Shelby coached?

Romero stood and wordlessly went to Wilson's office.

~ Wilson was never happy these days. Alex could tell by the look on his face that the Sheriff was angry.

"So when I said to stay away from the Bates woman, that meant you should meet with her in private and discuss her romantic relationship with Shelby?" Wilson asked casually.

"No, sir." Alex admitted. "She came up to me in the grocery store."

"Jesus, Alex." Wilson growled. "What are you doing? Are you intentionally making your life difficult?"

"Not intentionally." Alex admitted.

Wilson still looked angry.

"And I suppose she could only talk to you because?" the Sheriff prompted.

"She said that Shelby has been staying there since the shooting, and that her oldest child said that Zac Shelby has been going into his room at night." Alex explained.

He expected the Sheriff to be more horrified.

"And doing what?" Wilson asked.

Alex looked up in surprise.

"She said that Dylan didn't like it when Shelby came into his room at night." Alex explained again.

"Did the boy tell her or you what exactly Shelby was doing? Was he checking on them? There was a shooting there after all. A man died in the house. Maybe Dylan was having nightmares and didn't like another man being around him so soon after." the Sheriff offered.

"She didn't specify, Tom." Alex said curtly. "I would have asked the child, but I'm still under orders to stay away."

"Why did she come to you?" Wilson accused. "What is your relationship to Norma Bates?"

Alex felt his jaw tighten. He wasn't sure how to answer the question.  
"I… I don't have a relationship with Norma Bates." he said at last.

"You don't see her socially?" Wilson asked.

"No." Alex snapped.  
"So, this isn't some elaborate ploy to get Zac out of the picture?" Wilson asked.  
Alex rolled his eyes. His teeth were grinding again.

"You know, Tom, there are easier ways to get a boyfriend out of her life. If I wanted to, which I don't." he said.

Wilson still looked skeptical.

"Well, Alex." he sighed. "I doubt it's anything more than a little kid not liking his mom's boyfriend. But I wouldn't be doing my job if we didn't talk to the alleged victim."

"We?" Alex asked.

"Yes, we. You have a relationship with the boy. Obviously." Wilson snapped. "It's your mess isn't it?"

~ Dylan played basket ball that day at the summer program's gym. The coach gladly allowed them to take the boy as soon as he saw the uniformed Sheriff and his first Deputy enter. Dylan was thrilled to see them and even happier when they let him ride in the front seat of the Sheriff's own SUV and work the flashing lights and sirens. They drove to get milkshakes and talk.

"You know, Dylan." Wilson was saying after they had asked the boy about sports and how his mother was doing. "The most important thing for a Sheriff to be is honest. It's important to always tell the truth. Even if the truth is hard. Isn't that right, Alex?"

Romero was quick to nod.  
"That's right, Sheriff." he said. "I would get into a lot of trouble if I lied about something."

"Yes. Sometimes it's hard to tell the truth because it's embarrassing, or because you think people will be mad." Wilson said.

Dylan was quite. He was focused on his milkshake, but his little face looked angry.

"But if we lie, it just get worse." Alex agreed.

"That's right." Wilson nodded. "Whenever I've got a problem, no matter how bad, I know I can talk to my friend Alex here."

The Sheriff nodded at his Deputy.

"We always work it out." Alex agreed. "There is no problem we can't solve."

"Your mom is worried you might have a problem, Dylan." Wilson told the boy.

Dylan shook his head but wouldn't look up.

"I'm okay." he said sadly. His face turning red.

Alex wanted to demand the child tell him everything, but knew he had to use a light touch. He looked at Wilson for clues on what to do next.

"I'm glad you're okay." Wilson said easily. "But if you're not okay, now is the time to tell us."

Dylan was quite. Wilson took a deep breath and kept his voice calm and comforting when he spoke next.

"Your mom is sure worried about you." he said. "She told Alex how you don't like Mr. Shelby going into your room at night."

"No. No it's okay." Dylan said quickly.  
"Dylan." Alex offered. "You know that whatever you tell us, that it stays between us. You know we won't tell Shelby."

Wilson glared at Alex but looked back at the boy again.

"You're not in any trouble, son." the Sheriff added. "What does Mr. Shelby do when he goes in your room?"

Dylan was silent for a long time and Alex wanted to say something. He could sense by the child's body language that something was very wrong.

"He sits on my bed in the dark." Dylan offered.

Wilson nodded.

"He talks to me. Norman is asleep in the next bed. Coach Shelby asks me stuff." Dylan explained.

Alex felt his chest tighten.

'What kind of stuff?" Wilson asked.

"He…well, he asks if I ever touch Norman's privates and that it's okay if I do."

Alex wasn't sure if he wanted to hear this.  
"Then he asks me if I touch myself. That he won't tell anyone if I do. He asks me if I want to look at the magazine with the ladies in it again. They don't have their clothes on and he shows them to me. He asks me if…" Dylan stopped. He was breathing hard.

"It's okay, son." Alex said quickly. "Take a deep breath."

Dylan nodded and tried to compose himself. But he wouldn't speak.  
"What else happens when coach Shelby do in your room at night?" Wilson asked at last.

Dylan seemed to have trouble speaking. His eyes wet with tears.

"You need to say the words, Dylan." Wilson told him. "I can't say them for you."

Dylan looked like he was in pain.  
"I want you to be brave." Alex reminded him. "Be that brave guy for me that saved his mom. Remember how brave you were?"

Alex felt sick at the idea of what Dylan would say next.

"He… he wanted to know if I'd ever touched a grown up on their privates. That… that it was okay to wonder what they looked like. That I could see his, that I could…" the boy stopped and looked ashamed.

Alex wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault. He wanted to kill Shelby. But he ground his teeth and looked to Wilson.

"He let me touch him." Dylan confessed. His face was red with the humiliation of it. "But I didn't want to do it again."

"Okay." Wilson said gently. "Then what happened?"

"He kept coming back in my room and talking to me. He would get in the bed with me." Dylan said. Alex felt sure the child would throw up any second.

"Okay." Wilson prompted. "What did he do then?"

"He would… he would put his hand… he would put his hand down there on me." Dylan said with difficulty.

"Did you tell coach Shelby not do that?" Wilson asked.

Alex felt his teeth grinding hard. He would have to see a dentist soon.

Dylan nodded.

"I told him it hurt and I didn't want to keep having to touch him. He said I had to. He said I knew what I did to him. That I started it." the boy said.

"What else did Shelby say?" Wilson asked.

Dylan shook his head and refused to speak.

"Come on, Dylan." Alex offered. His own voice was shaking. "You can do this."

"I told him… I told him I would tell my mom. That my mom would be mad at him. He… he said that my mom knows I'm a lier. That if I said anything, that she wouldn't believe me. That she would know it was my fault for touching him first. That I had wanted to see his privates first. That… that I was a… a faggot for touching him. That she wouldn't love a faggot, and the other boys would beat me up when they found out." Dylan said. His face was red with shame.

 **Thank you, everyone for the encouraging reviews over the last 24 hours. I know what everyone's favorite Normero line is! LOL. I'm so happy that this story is well received. I want there to be conflict, between Alex and Norma, but to lack all the horror of the series. It has to be bad and troubling, but nothing that the characters can't overcome. I've tried to keep Alex and Norma on point with how they would act, based on the show. The only difference is that now they have the chance to not be doomed. They have the chance to be saved in so many ways.**

 **I got a lot of requests for what people wanted to see and here is whats coming:**

 **1.) Norma's scar will be explained**

 **2.) Norma's past will make an unwelcome visit**

 **3.) Alex will have another woman (not Rebecca) in his life**


	18. Chapter 18

18.

~ Alex sat in silence in front of Wilson's desk. The Sheriff seemed untroubled by Dylan's story.

"I say we call Shelby back right now and break both his legs." the deputy offered.

He had never felt so full of rage before. His leg was twitching slightly and all he could think about was Dylan feeling like it was all his fault.

"That's how your father did things, Alex." Wilson said lazily.

"Doesn't mean it was the wrong way to do them." Alex argued. "What he did to that child, what he made him believe? He would be getting off easy if we broke his legs."

"I agree with where your coming from." Wilson nodded. He was looking over some files on his desk and seemed indifferent.

"What do we tell his mother?" Alex asked. "After everything that she's been through?"

"We're going to handle it quietly." Wilson said. "That's what we'll tell her."

"Sheriff?" Alex questioned.  
"You told Mrs. Bates that it would be handled, and it will be." Wilson said.

"Great, when Shelby checks in we'll take him out back." Alex agreed.

Wilson shook his head.

"That's not how it's going down, Alex." he said.

"So we do nothing?" Alex questioned.

Wilson was looking over the file intently.

"I doubt this is all Shelby's fault." the Sheriff said at last.

"The hell it isn't." Alex spat.

"Do you remember why the little league was closed down in the first place, Alex?"

Romero shook his head.

"I was in high school at the time. I played ball there." he said.

"You're father did an investigation into Coach Pollard. He was the little league coach when Zac Shelby played. Apparently there were some complaints about him from parents but no arrests were made. The matter was dropped and closed. A month later, Coach Pollard was admitted to the ER in Portland. He'd been beaten within an inch of his life. He refused to say who did it. He never came back to White Pine Bay, not even to get his things." Wilson explained.

Alex refused to look at the Sheriff.

"Zac Shelby's mother had made a complaint that she later retracted when her husband found out. The original complaint was that her son was wetting the bed. That he had bruises on him that were out of place with sports. That her son started to show all the signs of sexual abuse. Trouble sleeping, inappropriate touching, overly affectionate. Your father dropped the investigation because the complaint was retracted. Zac Shelby's father was, and still is, very homophobic. He blamed his own son for what was happening to him. Zac Shelby was eight years old." Wilson told him.

"So Zac was molested. Doesn't mean he gets a free pass to do it to others." Alex said darkly.

"True." Wilson said.

"He could be doing this to the kids on his little league team right now." Alex added.

"Also true." Wilson agreed. "I'm just trying to understand it."

"There is nothing to understand, Tom. You heard that kid!" Alex snapped.

"Zac was taught this, Alex." Wilson said gently. "He had Dylan totally manipulated. Had him convinced that the child seduced the grown up. Made him feel that if he told anyone he would be shamed and ridiculed for it. What would be worse for a boy like Dylan than to have his friends think he's gay?"

"It's not Dylan's fault." Alex argued.

"We know that." Wilson said. "But the boy doesn't. Shelby was smart about this. He told his victim that people would say he's lying about it. That his mother would know he's lying. All kids lie, but Shelby used that as a means to keep the boy quite. He threatened his victim with public shame if it came out and it would have been effective if Mrs. Bates hadn't been so persistent."

Alex hadn't thought of Norma's role in this. If she hadn't paid attention to what her son said, taken it seriously and forced him to look into it, who knows how long this could have gone on.

"I owe you an apology." Sheriff Wilson sighed. "You weren't just trying to break up Shelby and Mrs. Bates."

Alex was quite.

"Although any fool can see you have feeling for her." the Sheriff grumbled when he stood up.

Alex ignored this last comment and stood as well.

"What happens now? We arrest Shelby?" the deputy asked.

"No." Wilson said.

"No?"

"We're going over to see Mrs. Bates." Wilson explained.

"How are we going to tell her all this?" Alex asked. "After all she's been through?"

"Carefully." Wilson answered. "We will do this carefully."

~ Norma was at home when the Sheriff's SUV pulled up and Alex got out of the driver's side. The Sheriff, a tall and handsome silver fox, stepped out of the passenger side and they walked up to her porch.

She wondered why the Sheriff alway seemed to let Alex drive his own SUV but pushed the thought away when they reached her door. She opened it before Alex had a chance to even knock. His face looked troubled when she tried to awkwardly smile in welcome.

"What happened?" she breathed. It was bad news, she knew it was something horrible.

"Mrs. Bates, how is the arm healing?" Sheriff Wilson asked.

She looked at the older man and down at her arm that was still in the sling.

"May we come in?" Alex asked. His voice was softer than normal.

She nodded and let them inside. The three of them eventually sitting around her kitchen table.  
"I wasn't sure what to do." she started before the men had a chance to say anything.

"Norma." Alex tried to cut her off.

"I mean, it's probably nothing now that I think about it." she went on.

Alex tried to take her hand to get her to stop talking.

"Norma." he said a little louder.

"But the more I think about it, the more it's probably nothing." she went on.

She noticed Alex looked frustrated at her rapid speech, but it was like a flood gate had been opened and she couldn't stop talking.

"I mean, Zac is so nice. He was probably just checking on the boys at night. You know I've had to take so much pain medication for my arm. I hardly know what's going on when I've taken them." she rushed ahead.

The Sheriff was listening to her every word but Alex was giving her a worried look.

"I mean, you know, I'm sure it's nothing. I feel really stupid for saying anything. It's nothing right? I'm sure it's nothing. He's just not used to having a man in the house. It's totally understandable after what happened to Sam. It's nothing to worry about." she went on and tried hard to smile.

She tried so hard to smile naturally when these men looked at her with grave faces.

"Mrs. Bates, we talked to Dylan this afternoon. He's a great kid. We went out for milkshakes." the Sheriff explained.

"Oh." Norma said. She couldn't seem to catch her breath.

"We talked to him about some things." Wilson said. His voice was calm and steady.

She wished he would hurry up. She looked at Alex, but the Deputy was looking at his own hands and not at her.

"Okay. Okay. Did he say Zac was just checking on him?" she asked. "I'm sure that's what it was."

The Sheriff and Alex were silent. She knew then.

"No." she whispered and shook her head. "No." she said again.

If she denied it, it wouldn't be real.

"Dylan was able to tell us, that Zac has been touching him in a way that was not appropriate." the Sheriff explained slowly.

Norma shook her head. She felt dizzy.

"And that he had made Dylan touch him as well." the Sheriff finished.

Norma felt her blood turn cold. She didn't want to cry, she was too hurt and angry. She was glad when the tears didn't form in her eyes. She wasn't sad. Her body had turned to stone from the wrath.  
"There was a sexual element to these actions, Mrs. Bates." the Sheriff said gently.

She was breathing rapidly and she gripped the side of the table hard for fear of fainting. She felt Alex take her hand, his own fingers lacing into hers. The feeling of relief flooded through her and some of the hardness eased around her body. She ran her thumb over his, the feel of him, another person's skin was soothing and comforting in a way she hadn't felt before. Her breathing became easier and she could focus again.

"Apparently Zac had told the boy if he said anything, you would think he was lying and think he was gay. You can understand how that would keep a child like Dylan from talking." the Sheriff explained.

Norma nodded. She understood that part.

"Dylan. He want's so badly to… be like… he's always been such a… a man. He's alway been like that." she said finally.

Alex held her hand with a firmer grip and she didn't feel like she might faint anymore.

She swallowed and felt her wrath take the shape of that horrible black bird on her shoulder.

' _You dummy. This is all your fault. Dylan will hate you forever. Why did you let Zac stay the night? Because you're weak. Just like your mother. Now look what he's done to your son. You're a bad mother. You're the worst person in the world. Look at Alex. Look at Sheriff Wilson. They know this is your fault. Sybil will blame you to. They always blame the mother. This time it's true. Sybil will blame you. She will take the boys away. You deserve it. The boys will be better off without you. Everyone would be better off if you were dead, dummy.'_

"No." Norma breathed and felt tears sting her eyes.

"Mrs. Bates?" the Sheriff asked.

She looked up to see both men's faced lined with concerned.

"Was…" she panted slightly. It was still hard to breathe. "Was Dylan… was he raped?"

 _'_ _All you fault, Dummy! All your fault. You're a terrible mother. The one job you took pride in and now look! You're so stupid!'_

"We don't think so." Wilson said soberly. "According to Dylan, it was just touching."

She breathed out.

"I told Zac last night he couldn't come over. I lied and said the boys had the stomach bug." she said. Her voice was shaking. "i told him they were throwing up."

"Okay." Wilson said. "You understand that Zac shouldn't be around the boys. You realize that you need to not see him anymore."

"I want to kill him." Norma said in a cold voice.

She felt Alex squeeze her hand slightly. A rush that was electric rippled through her that said he understood completely.

As soon as she said it out loud, her body felt calmer. She wasn't stone anymore and she felt stronger. She wanted to kill the crap out of Zac for what he did to Dylan in her own home. In her son's own bed.

"That's understandable but we are going to handle this." Sheriff Wilson said.

"Handle this how?" Norma asked. "Will Dylan have to testify?"  
"Do you want to press charges?" the Sheriff asked. His voice was skeptical. "All we have is Dylan's word against Shelby's and Zac has no record of this before. It will be in court, it will be in the public and you might not get the result you want."

Norma knew she didn't want Dylan to go through that.

"No." she admitted. "I just want Zac… I want him… to go away. I want Dylan to not be afraid of him or embarrassed about it."

Wilson nodded.

"Alright. Let Alex and I handle it." he said.

Alex let go of her hand and she suddenly missed his contact. His stoic presence had kept her calmer. As if my magic.

"What if he comes here?" she asked. "What if he's mad at us?"

"I told you it will be handled, Norma Bates." Wilson said bluntly.

~ Norma wasn't used to this. She didn't dislike Alex. That wasn't the issue at all. She had been a little annoyed with him when he took Dylan fishing but she'd gotten over it quick enough. She just wasn't used to being complexity alone with him like this.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you." she admitted. Her voice was a whisper so not to wake Norman who was taking a nap in her bed. The heat of the day had made her baby drift off right after lunch.

Alex sat across from her at the kitchen table. She had made them both coffee and they sat waiting for the carpool to bring Dylan back home from basket ball. Norma still couldn't drive because of her pain medications and it hadn't been easy to set up transportation for her oldest.

"Which time?" Alex said darkly. His voice calm and level. Respectful of the sleeping baby in the next room.

Norma rolled her eyes.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you about the fishing trip, alright?" she snapped in a whisper.

"But not the other times?" he asked.

"What other times?" she argued.

"The other times you yelled at me." he said quickly. His voice never growing louder or indicating they were in an argument. Likewise, her voice stayed calmer when normally she would be shouting. To hell with waking the baby up when she was in the right.

"I didn't yell at you. Why do you always have to be so contrary?" she accused. Her whisper growing into a hiss.

"Oh, and you're not contrary?" he asked.

She waved at her arm that was in a sling still.

"I was in pain from my arm and I'm sorry I yelled at you for kidnapping my kid and putting him in a boat with you for hours on a dangerous lake, Alex." she said through gritted teeth.

She thought she saw him smile but it slipped away so quickly she couldn't be sure.

"Well, I apologize for kidnapping your kid and showing him a fun afternoon that involved a wholesome American sport." he said back.

"Fishing isn't a sport." she hissed.

"Yes, it is." Alex hissed back.  
"No, it's not. It's sitting in a boat all day." she argued.

"It's still a sport, Norma." he whispered. His body leaned close to her so they could argue without being loud.

"It's a stupid sport and it's all anyone talks about here." she insisted.

"Still a sport and Dylan is really good at it." Alex whispered. His eyes went large over her hatred of something he obviously loved.

Norma leaned back in her chair and they both took a moment to cool off.  
"What do we tell Dylan when he come in? He's going to be embarrassed." she said softly.

"The truth." Alex said gently. "That Shelby won't be coming back. That he won't be coaching little league, and that it's not Dylan's fault."

"What if Zac comes back here? What if he tries to… what if he's mad at my son for telling?" Norma asked.

She felt a coldness creep in her body at the idea of retaliation.

"That's why I'm here." Alex said simply.

Norma let out a long breath of air and her body relaxed a little.

"Dylan… he's never going to get over this." she whispered.

"Yes he will." Alex said softly. "He will because his mother protected him."

She felt the black bird on her shoulder lighten slightly. It had nothing to say to this.

"No. No, I didn't protect him." she admitted. She felt tears in her eyes remembering she had been asleep when Shelby did this to her child.  
"Yes, you did." Alex said. He turned to her and she saw his eyes were honest as always. "You made me, forced me in fact, to listen to you. You took what Dylan said seriously and made sure something was done. You protected him, Norma. You did that."

She knew Alex meant well, but her thoughts were somewhere else. Her mind was thrown back in time to a place she tried to forget. If she tried hard enough, she could imagine it happened to another girl. Another girl with ill fitting clothes, dirty hair and broken shoes. That her personal hell hadn't happened to her, but maybe it was something she saw in a movie. All the disgusting touches, hands between her thighs and probing of fingers over her innocent body hadn't been real.

That maybe it wasn't her who was hurt those hot summer days when there was nothing to do and they were afraid to go home. Of the pain and embarrassment after it happened. The shame each time she looked in the mirror. The guilt that she was responsible and the hating of herself that she didn't hate him.

She had told her mother. Begged her mother for help, but her cries were ignored. Her mother looking at her with contempt and loathing. It had been her fault after all. She should have protected herself better. She shouldn't have allowed herself to be alone with him. She shouldn't have let it get that far.

In the end, nothing was fixed. It stayed broken until she would rather kill herself than endure another second.

"Dylan's home." Alex said and she was pulled back to reality again. She looked out the window to the kitchen and saw her oldest, somber looking, walking up to the house at a slower pace than he usually did things.

Norma wondered if he was afraid to come home. Afraid Shelby would be here waiting and angry that he had told.

"We're proud of him." she whispered and Alex nodded in agreement. At least they could agree on something.

They both stood up when her son walked into the house. Norma wasn't sure how she did it, but she plastered a happy smile on her face.


	19. Chapter 19

19.

~ Dylan had remained quite while Norma and Alex talked to him. Romero was impressed that Norma Bates had managed to keep so calm. If Dylan had been his child… Alex closed his eyes at the idea.

Zac Shelby was just lucky Dylan wasn't Romero's child.

"I am so proud of you." Norma said in a whisper. "You did the right thing."

"What about little league?" Dylan asked. His small voice quivering. "Everyone is going to be mad I made Coach Shelby leave."

"No one else knows, and you didn't do this, son." Alex spoke up. "Zac did this. This is his fault and no one else."

The boy looked unsure.

"But he knows where we live." Dylan whispered to his mother. "He'll come here and be mad."

Alex shook his head.

"He's never coming back here." the Deputy promised. Dylan looked at his mother who nodded. That fake smile stretching across her face.

Dylan still looked unsold on the prospect.  
"I want it to be back to normal. Like it never happened." the child admitted.

"I do to." Norma sighed.

Alex saw her expression fall and her eyes become sad.

"I wish more than anything this hadn't happened to you. But it's over now and it will never happen again." she said.

She pulled her oldest child closer to her, but he seemed reluctant to be held. He leaned away and looked at anything but the adults.

"Dylan, I'm very glad you told me. Because it means that we could stop it." she insisted.

Norma jumped when there was a cry from her bedroom. Her youngest must have woken up.

"I'll be right back." she said and leaned down to kiss Dylan.

Alex watched her as she left. Her movements looked especially graceful in a summer dress with spaghetti straps resting lightly on her shoulders. The colorful fabric fell beautifully around her hips, past her thighs and hitting her knees. The sling holding her broken arm was the only thing obstructing such a pleasing sight.

He remembered why he was here and turned back to Dylan who still looked worried.

"Dylan?" Alex said gently.

The boy looked back at him. His eyes, the same color as Norma's, and were just as sad as hers could be.

"What happened with Shelby, it doesn't make you gay." he told the boy honestly. "No one will ever think that."

Dylan looked skeptical.

"I don't think you're gay and you can't become gay just because another man touched you like that." Alex told him. "That's not how it works."

"My mom is gonna find out about the magazines with the naked ladies. She'll be mad." Dylan confessed in a whisper. "Shelby showed them to me and it was our secret."

Alex nodded.

"See, about that Dylan." Romero admitted. He took a deep breath and had to laugh at himself. "See, Dylan." he started again. "ALL men, who like women… they um….men like naked women. They like to see them. There is absolutely nothing wrong with liking naked women. Shelby shouldn't have showed you that magazine, but it's perfectly normal if you liked seeing it. It's not bad to be curious."

He spoke in a whisper. The last thing he needed was Norma overhearing him talk to Dylan about nudity. Especially after what happened today.

"Do you like naked women?" Dylan asked innocently.

Alex nodded and tried to keep a strait face.

"Of course. I think women, naked women, are beautiful." he admitted honestly.

"Do you look at magazines like that?" he asked.

Alex felt himself blush slightly. He hadn't been much older than Dylan when he and some friends had found that stash of old playboys. Those vintage issues from the 60's were covertly passed along to each boy in turn. How he had given careful attention to each centerfold until he determined which were his favorites. He had always liked the blonds the best; even if they weren't natural. He liked how they just seemed so vibrant with their hair teased, bleached and curled tight. How the style of the decade demanded long, fake eyelashes that he was foolish enough to think were real. Those eyes always looking right at him, as if asking him to join them. His younger self always wishing he could. He memorized to the last detail how magnificent these dream girls looked lounging in nothing more than see through nighties and half open college sweaters. Legs and arms neatly folded in a seductive pose of false modesty that never showed too much. Their bodies were perfect and natural. He never forgot how these beauties teased him from across the pages. Images, curves and faces he could see even now.

"Sometimes. And there's nothing wrong with that." Alex said at last. "But I'm an adult."

Dylan looked ashamed.

"But your mom's not mad at you." Alex said. "She knows Shelby showed them to you and he shouldn't have."

Dylan nodded.

"Is my mom still mad at us?" he asked. "Because we went fishing?"

"No. She's not." Alex told him truthfully. "Your mom was mad at me because I should have asked her permission first."

"She would have said no." Dylan said sourly.

Alex smiled.

"She may say yes from now on." he said in a whisper. "I got her to admit fishing is a sport."

~ "Shelby just left my office." Wilson said.

Alex was in the kitchen with Norma when Wilson called. She was cooking some kind of chicken and the smells were wonderful. Alex was becoming impatient for dinner even as he helped her set the table for four. Her broken arm didn't seem to slow her down as far as cooking and he felt that his 'help' just got in the way. She didn't ask him to leave though. Her work here was well practiced and easy.

"How'd it go?" he asked the Sheriff.  
"Told him he had to resign today or call it a firing." Wilson said soberly. "Told him we knew everything about the boy. He denied it of course but we both know Dylan was telling the truth. Kids don't make up that kind of shit in such detail. Not at that age. And he wasn't fed lines either. He used his own words."

Alex closed his eyes. He finally saw what Wilson had been doing when they spoke with Dylan. How he had made the child say it without help. He refused to offer suggestions of abuse. That way, they got the truth.

"Well, he resigned and he knows he's done with little league to. I say he's getting off easy. How's the boy?" Wilson asked.  
Romero looked out into the living room and saw Dylan and Norman were playing quietly.

"Good." Alex admitted.

"The mother?"

The Deputy turned to look at Norma. She sensed she was being talked about and looked back at him curiously. Her fair hair was a little messy from the days work, but her skin was glowing and her eyes were bright. It struck him that she looked not a day over seventeen just then. Alex felt his breathing change when she met his eyes. His body responding like he was seventeen to.

He quickly looked away and focused on the task at hand.

"She's fine." he said quickly.

"Well, Zac was pissed so I can't promise you'll have a peaceful night." Willson confessed.

Alex nodded.

"We're going to have a peaceful night, Sheriff." he said. Dylan looked up at him from his coloring book and Alex nodded at the child. "I'll be here, so don't worry."

Dylan looked relived.

"Alright." Wilson said. "Just don't make me regret letting you stay there, Alex. Remember we're keeping Shelby quite but I don't want gossip about you and the Bates woman. The last thing I need is that bullshit."

"We'll be fine, Sheriff." Alex said breezily. He turned to see Norma looking curiously at him again. Romero felt slightly embarrassed that he was being lectured about this just now. As if he really WAS still in high school and visiting a girlfriend's house. His dad on the phone lecturing him about not getting her 'in trouble'.

That scenario was ludicrous. The old bear never lectured Alex on the subject of women.

He quickly hung up the phone just as Norma called them to eat.

~ It was a pleasant meal of small talk and questions only children ask from Dylan. Alex noticed how Norma didn't seem to have time to eat dinner herself. She was cutting up Norman's food and encouraging Dylan to eat his meal. But she smiled a lot which was good to see.

He noticed the bruising on her face was better, it looked like she had dirt across her nose and cheek. Her eye was much less puffy to.

Alex kept his focus on the bay window that faced the street. He knew he could see headlights on this lonely road from where he sat. He knew Zac would come to the house tonight, and he wanted to be ready.

~ "Dylan, do you think you're going to be alright to take a bath alone?" Norma asked him.

Dylan nodded and she smiled at him.

"My guy is growing up." she whispered. She knelt down and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm so proud of you."

He smiled back at her and she was grateful that smile was just for her.

She put Norman to bed. Her youngest falling asleep easily, even with his afternoon nap.

"I'm going to sit on the porch for a while." Alex said as soon as Dylan shut the door to the bathroom.

Norma was about to argue when he shut off the living room lights behind him, and stepped out onto the front porch without another word to her on the subject.

She cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher. It had felt good to cook a nice dinner again for adults to enjoy. It made her happy to see how much Alex eaten. It annoyed her to think of him with TV dinners at his house. She felt herself becoming angry all over again at the idea of his frozen food diet. She just knew he had a freezer full of that crap. It must be disgusting to have to eat them day in and day out.

' _Just, calm down._ ' she told herself. _'He can eat whatever he wants. It's not your responsibility to make him eat right.'_

She actually stopped her cleaning for a second to remind herself that it wasn't her business if Alex ate TV dinners for every meal.

 _'_ _Oh, God! What if he eats that crap at every meal?'_ she thought wildly.

She quickly packed leftovers into the to-go boxes they used for a catering job. She scrawled his name on them and the date. She was glad she made too much food now. There was three extra boxes for Alex to take home. It made her feel better to see them tucked into the fridge. Like she now had some control over her world.

~ It was almost midnight when Zac Shelby decided to come see Norma Bates. Alex had nearly dozed off in the chair he had dragged out from the kitchen. He almost expected Shelby not to show up and was oddly glad that he had.

' _Lets get this over with._ ' Romero thought.

He stayed seated in Norma's kitchen chair as Shelby pulled up in the old pick up that was his spare car. Wilson had no doubt made Shelby give back the SUV that belonged to the Sheriff's department. The old truck's headlights gleamed brightly over the lane and he was going too fast for Alex's comfort on a dead end road. Shelby skidded to a halt in Norma's driveway and didn't bother to turn off the high beams when he stumbled out.  
"Evening, Zac." Romero said carefully eyeing Shelby's hands and hips. He didn't see a gun, but that didn't mean there wasn't a weapon hidden somewhere else.

"What are you doing here?" Shelby barked. Alex could see the younger man was drunk. His clothing and hair disheveled and his eyes bulging and bloodshot.

Romero didn't answer Shelby's question.

Zac pointed to the darkened front door.  
"I'm here to talk to Norma." he said. His speech slurred from anger and from drinking.

"That's not going to happen, Zac." Alex said cooly.

He shocked even himself at how calm he remained. He felt a sickness twist in him with a force stronger than any he had ever known.

"Who the hell are you to decide who she talks to?" Shelby snarled. "Norma!"

Alex stood up and revealed the shot gun that had been resting on his lap.

"You need to think about this, Zac." he said once he was sure Shelby had the chance to take in the damage such a weapon could do. Romero's voice was calm and steady. He didn't stutter at all. "Right now, no one but Wilson and I know all the details of what you did. It can stay that way if you leave now. If you don't?"

Alex pretended to consider the other option in mockery of Shelby's life.  
"Well, one phone call to Sybil Lawson and the DA is all it will take. You'll be in prison and everyone in town will know exactly what you did to that child." Romero finished.

"I didn't DO anything." Shelby spat. "I was trying to-"

"Stop it." Alex ordered gently. He shook his head at the mere suggestion Zac was the wronged party. "Dylan told us everything. He was very convincing and he would be a great witness for the DA, Zac." he said.

"This is my hometown, Alex." Shelby told him. Bitterness was raw in his tone now. "You expect me to leave the town I grew up in?"

Alex shrugged and put on that indifferent voice that served him so well.  
"Well, the alternative isn't so good, Zac." he said. "At least this way you can visit the folks for Christmas. At least this way no one has to know what a sick piece of shit you really are."

Shelby looked offended.

"I'm not a faggot." he snarled. His pride wounded.  
"Never thought you were." Alex told him cooly. "You better go home and pack. Leave now, and I won't call you in for driving under the influence."

"I want to hear that Norma wants me to leave. I bet she didn't buy this shit for a second." Shelby spat.

Alex prayed that Norma Bates was in bed asleep already and wouldn't come out on the porch. He was grateful when he didn't hear any movement inside the house.

Romero raised the shot gun to eye level and aimed it right at Shelby. Zac took a step back.

"Last chance, Shelby. You can still walk away from this. Forget it ever happened. I think you're getting off too easy, but it wasn't my call to make." he said.

Shelby glared at Romero for a long time and Alex waited for the torrent of profanity that should have spewed out of the drunk's mouth. But all that happened was Zac flipped him off, climbed back into the truck, turned his music up to full volume and drove recklessly down the lane, did a u turn that almost wrecked him, and sped away.

Alex lowered the shot gun and breathed a sigh of relief. He opened the front door to Norma's house and put her kitchen chair back where he'd gotten it from. The living room was dark, but he saw Norma had left sheets and blankets on the sofa for him in case he decided to stay the night. He made up an impromptu bed in the dark.

"Will he be back?" a soft voice floated up in the darkness. Alex hadn't noticed Norma had been sitting in the side chair of her living room this whole time. He turned and saw her pale figure looking out the bay window. She was in modest pajamas but they looked odd with her arm still in a sling. All of her clothes were ruined with her broken arm.

"How much did you hear?" Alex asked instead.  
"Everything." she admitted. "I had a feeling that's why you stayed here for so long."

Alex went back to making the bed on the couch.

"I'm glad you did." she admitted. "That you stayed."

"Well, I don't think he's going to be back, but just in case." Alex told her.

"That's why I got you the blankets." she responded.

She sat perfectly still in her chair and watched Alex stow the shot gun on top of her china hutch so he could get to it easily, but the boys couldn't.

"I'll leave in the morning." he offered. "The worst is over."

"I hope so." she admitted sadly.

He felt awkward getting ready for bed in front of her. He slipped of his shoes and covered himself up. She seemed reluctant to leave for her own room.

"Are you going to be comfortable there?" she asked.

"I'll be fine. I've slept in worse places." he admitted.

"I've boxed up some leftovers from tonight for you." she whispered in the dark. "They have your name on them and reheating instructions. I don't want you eating those TV dinners anymore."

He lifted his head up. He was fully ready to argue with her about his eating habits but decided it wasn't worth it.

"Well… thank you. Thanks, I'll eat them. Thank you." he said. He just wanted to go to sleep. It had been a long day and too much had happened.

He was about to close his eyes but, being Norma Bates, she just couldn't let it go.  
"Because they are so bad for you. They have so much sodium and chemicals. All those preservatives, I wouldn't even call them food. You're going to have a heart attack. I don't want you eating them anymore. It really bothers me that that's all you've been eating, Alex."

"Oh, God. Good night, Norma." he moaned. If he played dead she might leave him alone.

"Not to mention the fast food I know cops eat all the time. It's just not good for you, Alex." she whispered.  
"Go to bed, Norma." he ordered.  
"Okay, I will." she whispered in the dark. "But I made sure there was plenty of greens to go with he chicken because I'm sure you're not eating enough greens and that's very important to digestion."

"Go!" Romero hissed and he heard her quickly scamper from her chair, past the kitchen and to her room.

~ Norma wasn't sorry at all to see the last of Zac. She didn't want him, or any man in her life these days. Men were too much work and she had enough work to do as it was. It was a relief to be free of any romantic entanglements again. She sat alone in her queen sized bed after Shelby left and thought it over.

Sure, she was alone with her boys, but it felt good to be unattached. She didn't have to answer to anyone else. Didn't have to feel obligated to anyone or dependent on anyone. She enjoyed having her big bed to herself. It was never fun to have to share a bed with someone and she always lost sleep with that arrangement.

Best of all, she didn't have to look after a boyfriend or husband anymore. She only had to clean up and cook for herself and the boys.

 _'_ _I need to make sure Alex takes those leftovers home and puts them in his fridge. I just know he's going to forget them. Or worse, he's going to leave them out at room temperature and then eat them. Oh, damn, then he's going to get sick. I'll have to get up early and write a note on them to make sure he knows what to do. I wish I had better sheets for him to sleep on. That sofa can't be too comfortable and I think it's too hot out with all those blankets. Maybe I need to have Alex over once a week for dinner. Just to make sure he has at least one good meal a week and not those horrible things from the frozen food aisle. I was glad he had dinner with us tonight. He liked my chicken marsala and pasta. He had two helpings.'_

Norma smiled to herself as she thought about the little chores she had to do that morning before Alex would leave. She didn't need her pain meds after her manic planning was done in her head. She fell asleep easily and dreamed her life was like watching a movie.

 **Sorry for the late chapter. It was a crazy busy day!**


	20. Chapter 20

20.

~ High summer brought with it the busy season of White Pine Bay. The town was crawling with tourists and Norma was glad to be back at work again. Her broken arm was still in a cast, but she didn't need a sling and her face was healed so she didn't get any odd looks.  
"I just can't believe what you had to go through." one of her fellow cooks said for the third time that day.

"I know. I heard about it and I just wanted to cry. I sent you a card at the hospital." another cook added.

"I got it. They had me on the good drugs so I'm not sure what I was thinking the first time I read it." Norma admitted with a smile.

"It must have been so scary." Hilary added. "Thank God Romero came when he did."

"I heard your little boy flagged him down. You must be so proud." the first cook added.  
"I am proud of Dylan. For a lot of reasons." Norma said.

She was decorating a wedding cake. Her focus on the ribbons of frosting and not the ladies around her. Not that she minded their comments. It was kinda nice to have their admiration on what she had survived.

"I wish I had seen Deputy Romero carrying your baby." The second cook said with a grin. "One of the lady paramedics told me he looked so sexy. Everyone had thought the baby had wandered into the woods during the storm. They thought he was dead, and then to see Alex Romero carrying that child in his arms like that? It was all any of the girls were talking about the next day."

Norma stood a little straiter. She had actually heard this story a few times now. Sybil told it to her, then the nurses at the hospital were whispering about it when they thought she was asleep. Then, the check out girl at the super market had asked her about it. She had heard the story so many times she almost believed she had witnessed Alex carrying poor, frightened Norman out of the house herself.

The reality wasn't nearly so heroic. She hadn't told anyone she had given the child cough syrup to keep him sleeping during the ordeal. She was worried that information would make people think she was a bad mother. Everyone in town seemed to have forgotten that Alex had shot and killed her estranged husband and that she had another child that had been likewise traumatized.

That wasn't the story people wanted. They wanted a story where Norma was being hurt by a bad husband and Alex Romero came to her rescue. They wanted a helpless child to be rescued from the jaws of certain death and they all wanted to have been there to see it unfold.

Norma tried not to laugh at the absurdity of it. Alex wasn't a super hero after all. He was just in the right place at the right time.

"I still can't believe Deputy Romero is still single." the first cook said. "He's so good looking."

"Well, he's not the nicest person to talk to." The second cook admitted. "He pulled me over last winter for speeding, and I got a ticket AND lecture because my break light was out. The damn thing had been broken for months and no one pulled me over for it. Why he decided to make a big deal about it then is beyond me."

"Yeah he is a bit of a grump." the first cook agreed. "I miss Zac Shelby. He was such a sweet heart."

Norma froze and strained her ears.  
"I wonder why he just left like that?" the second cook mused.

"I heard it was something to do with Keith Summers." Hillary offered. "That he owed him money."

"The girl at the Walgreens said Zac Shelby was messing around with a high school girl, and that Sheriff Wilson made him resign or he would arrest him." the first cook said.

Norma didn't offer her theory on why Zac left. All the women agreed Zac was better looking than Alex, but they all wished they had seen Deputy Romero rescuing Norman.

"There is nothing sexier than a man who's a good father." Hillary said and nodded to Norma.  
"Why are you telling me this?" Norma laughed.

"Because, you're single now." The second cook said. "You're free to find a new man."

"I don't want a new man." Norma told them. "I like being on my own. I like being able to take care of myself and my boys."

"All you modern feminists say that." Hilary told her. "But there will come a time when you're going to be lonely for warm body to wrap your legs around."

"Hilary!" Norma said with a laugh.  
"And it needs to be a guy who's good to your kids." Hilary went on. "Besides, you're still young, Norma. Who's to say your done having babies?"

"No, don't jinx me." Norma said quickly. The thought of being pregnant again, of another baby now that Norman was fully potty trained wasn't something she even wanted to think about.

"Oh, I bet Alex Romero would make pretty babies." the second cook sighed.

"Pretty, yet angry babies." the first cook agreed.

"His mother was very pretty." Hilary offered. "She won all those beauty pageants when she was younger. Before she married his father and then killed herself."

Norma almost ruined the wedding cake when she dropped the icing bag. This latest piece of gossip had thrown her off her game.

"Wait, what happened?" Norma asked. She tried to sound casual, but she wanted them to tell her everything.

The ladies didn't disappoint.

"It was tragic." The first cook said.

"Sad." the second cook chimed in.

"Theresa Reyes married Alex's father when she was just nineteen years old." the first cook explained. "Sherif Romero was just a deputy then and wasn't corrupt yet."

Norma remembered Shelby telling her all about the DEA arresting Alex's father.  
"Yes. Back then things were a lot different here. Anyway, she married him because her family approved and she was very religious. They got pregnant right away and she miscarried. Then she miscarried three more times before she finally had Alex. Rumor was that she couldn't have anymore babies and that's where the trouble started. Once Sheriff Romero was elected, it was all downhill from there. He made deals with bad people, took bribes and helped cover up murders. On top of that, he was fooling around on poor Theresa who was always a saint out of heaven. Alex had to grow up watching his father turn into this mean, abusive monster. When he was in high school he would always stay with friends and he left for the military as soon as graduation was done. Then, he came home after his service and joined the Sheriff's department. With his father as the Sheriff! All this time he takes his mother to Sunday mass and out to lunch every week. That's the kind of son he was. But he refused to have anything to do with the old man even though he worked for him. One Sunday, Alex goes to collect his mom and finds her dead in her bed. She had taken pills or something. Then, not long after, the DEA rolls into town and arrests half of the police department and some very big names who had a lot of money and influence around here." The first cook explained.

"Lot of people think Alex Romero turned his own father in." Hilary added. "It was surprising he was exempt from all the scandal and arrests."

"Anyway, Wilson was brought in to keep things from blowing up. He's been re-elected and he does a good job." the first cook said.

Norma finished decorating her wedding cake. Her thoughts on how sad over Alex's life had been. A life she didn't know about because he never told her.

~ Alex spotted Norma Bates leaving work that afternoon. She looked radiant, even if she was dressed in plain slacks and a T-shirt.

"Norma?" he called to her in the parking lot. She had thrown her purse into the old Buick and hadn't seen him approach.

"Alex!" she said with a smile.

He felt lighter when he saw her smile. Their troubles over the past few months seemed to have evaporated along with the chill in the air.

"Was this your first day back at work?" he asked awkwardly.  
"Yes. It's good to be around adults again. I've been listing to people gossip about you all day." she added.

"Me?" he question. He didn't like the sound of that. "What… what do they have to say about me?"

"Everyone keeps asking me about you rescuing Norman and how great it was. I keep telling them I didn't see it." Norma shrugged. "It's like no one cares about anything else. They don't want to know the bad stuff. They just want you to be the hero who saved me and rescued a baby." she shrugged.

Alex smiled.  
"Well…. well maybe that's for the best." he told her.

"Maybe." she agreed.

"You know school is starting soon." he said casually.

"Yeah, Dylan is excited to start kindergarten." Norma said.

There was a feeling of awkwardness between them. Like they were just strangers engaging in small talk.

"It's a fun age." Alex added.

"Yeah."

Alex looked over her old Buick.  
"You know, it might be time to replace this." he nodded. He didn't like the idea of her being dependent on such a hit or miss car.

"Well, right now I've got to catch up on some other bills. I was off work for a while." she said.

Alex nodded.

"Well, when you're ready to get something more reliable, let me know. Police auction is a great way to buy a good car." he told her.

"Really?" Norma asked. "I didn't know that."

"Drug dealers... you know... they always have nice cars." Alex added with a slight stutter. He felt nervous talking to her just now, and he wasn't sure why.

She started to say something but stopped herself. Alex waited, but she shook her head.

"I'll keep that in mind." she said finally.

"How are the boys?" he asked.

It was the thick of summer and he could feel the heat bearing down on them. The sun making it's always welcomed appearance everyday now.

"Good." Norma said. "You know I don't think Dylan even remembers… what happened. He hasn't said anything since that day. He's back to his old self. Maybe we go lucky."

"I hope so."

"Although, he is talking about wanting to be a police man." Norma added sarcastically. Her eyebrow going up as if accusing him.

Alex tried to look innocent.

"That's Wilson's fault. Blame him." he said.

"I blame you and you know it." Norma teased.

"I was thinking maybe we could go out on the bay this weekend." Alex said suddenly. "The four of us. Together."

Norma hesitated.

"Fishing." she sighed.

"A great sport." he added.

"So I hear." she added. She looked like she was trying to think of a way out.  
"How early would I have to get up?" she asked.

"I usually get up at four." Alex admitted.

"In the morning?" Norma asked in disbelief.

Alex shrugged.

"That's why it's a sport." he told her.  
"Well, Dylan has been begging me to let him go back out there, so… so yes." she relented.

"Great." Alex said. His voice sounded casual and almost indifferent to her coming. "This Sunday."

"I'll pack a lunch." she offered, but he was already walking away.

~ Norma was home with the boys when the insurance adjuster arrived.

"I'm afraid I don't really understand what this is about." she told her visitor. A man who changed her life but, who's name she would never remember.

"Well, Sam Bates passed away six weeks ago now." the adjuster said.

"He didn't pass away. He was shot and killed by a Sheriff's Deputy." Norma said curtly. She had hoped to shock the poor man with this news, but he seemed unfazed.

"My husband was trying to kill me. He attacked the Sheriff's Deputy and was shot three times. He bled out right here." she waved at the new linoleum Shelby had put down. "Had to replace the floor and everything." she added.

"Yes, well, it was over six weeks now and we've completed our assessment and have all the paperwork." he said.

"Assessment?" Norma repeated. "The case is closed. It was a justifiable shooting. We feared for our lives. I have two small children in this house who feared for their lives."

She was feeling angry at the mention of Sam Bates in her home. Her world, her new life was feeling violated again. Even if was only the ghost of Sam Bates.

"I understand that, Mrs. Bates." he said. "When one of our clients dies in a violent way, we have to have an investigation ourselves and asses the beneficiaries."

"What? What are you talking about?" she asked.  
"Life insurance, Mrs. Bates." he said simply. "Sam Bates sold life insurance and he had always been insured for a lot of money even at a young age."

Norma felt her mind not want to work right. She had known about his life insurance for a while now. But in all the chaos of his death and what happened with Shelby, she had forgotten about it.

"Oh." she said.

"Yes, it is a substantial amount. That coupled with the unnatural manner of death." the agent explained. He opened a folder and showed her some documents. He took out a rectangle slip of paper that proved to be a corporate check.

She looked over the name and total.

"One million dollars?" she whispered. Her hands started to shake. "This is a joke right?"

"It could have been more if he had taken our gold policy." the adjuster explained. "In fact I believe his family signed him up for the basic death policy. They paid all the premiums to make sure he was well covered."

Norma laid the corporate check down and looked it over carefully. It was bigger in shape than most. It was printed out with the information and not hand written. There was even a bar code on it.

"Wait. There was a typo. This is made out to **Norman** Bates." she said and showed him the name. "I'm his wife and my name is **Norma** Bates."

"Yes, well…" the insurance adjuster explained. "Sam Bates elected to make his son Norman the soul beneficiary."

"Can he do that?" Norma argued. Her face pulling up in disgust. "Norman is only two years old. I mean, I'm Sam's widow. Arn't I automatically his beneficiary?"

"Normally." the adjuster said. "But Sam Bates was very clear on what he wanted."

"How can I deposit a check when it's made out to someone who can't even sign their own name?" she asked.

"Well, I'm afraid it's not just a signature needed in this case. In order to cash this check, you'll need Norman to have a photo ID and all beneficiaries have to be at least eighteen. That's one of our company stipulations." he explained.

"I have to wait sixteen years before I can use this money?" Norma said in shock.

"No. NORMAN will have to wait sixteen years before HE can use this money." the adjuster explained.

"Wait, we need this now. There must be some way around this." Norma argued. She stood when the adjuster did, but it was clear he didn't care.

"I'm afraid I can't help you with that, Mrs. Bates." the adjuster said. "But rest assured when Norman Bates turns eighteen, he will be set up very nicely."

 **Not to worry readers! There will be more awesome Normero time coming soon. Thank you all for the feedback and reviews. Please let me know if there is anything specific you want to see in this story and I will try to work it in. Ive already been working on a few requests for readers and they will be out soon. It just takes time.**


	21. Chapter 21

21.

~ Norma decided it was best to leave her youngest with Sybil that morning after Alex picked them up. Little Norman would be fussy and it was clear that a soon to be three year old wouldn't be ideal.

"I'll probably be back before he even wakes up." she whispered to the older woman when she laid him down on the spare bed. "But here is his breakfast and little dog."

She sat down Norman's tote bag with the barking dog he loved so much.

"He'll be fine. You have a nice time and tell Little Bear I said hello." Sybil told her.

It was hard to believe it was morning when she went back outside. It was still dark and quite with no signs of other people and no birds singing. White Pine Bay felt empty with all its inhabitants still asleep. Yet, the air felt electric with the promise of a new day.

Alex and Dylan were waiting for her in the cab of a well worn Chevy Blazer from the 1970's. It looked massive compared to the newer, smaller cars in the sleepy neighborhood.

Her youngest son looked tired, but excited to be going on a real fishing trip again.

"Why do we have to be out on the water so early?" he asked Romero once she had carefully climbed back into the cab. This old truck clearly wasn't made for someone wearing a dress. She felt like she was climbing on a horse just to get back in.

Norma fastened her seatbelt before Alex put the truck into drive.

"Because that's when the fish are the most active." he explained. "They feed early and it's easier to catch them. Also, if we go too late, the other boats will be out and scare the fish away."

"We have to use worms, don't we?" Norma asked. She wasn't looking forward to that.

Dylan started to giggle from the back seat and she thought she caught Alex holding back a smirk.

"What? What is it?" she asked.

"We don't use worms, mom. No one uses worms." Dylan laughed.

~ Norma didn't want Dylan to get too close to the boat when Alex launched it in the bay. She held Dylan back and had already strapped him into the child sized life vest Romero gave her. She was constantly thinking of what could go wrong today. The boat capsizing and Dylan drowning were the tamest of her fears.

Alex had made launching the Sheriff's fishing boat look easy. Norma had to admit, it was very nice even if it was only used on the weekends. It could comfortably seat half a dozen people, had a well equipped fold out kitchen and even a small bedroom and bathroom below deck.

She had decided not to venture down below deck when she saw how messy it was. Clearly the Sheriff's boat " ** _The Jailhouse Now_** " wasn't female friendly.

"I take it Mrs. Wilson doesn't come out here too much." Norma mused. She watched Alex bait her line and was surprised to see Dylan was already fixing his own tackle without any help.

Alex gave her an amused look.  
"No. She hates fishing." he said. "She's always glad to see us leave for the day. I think she knows she won't have to put up with a husband for a few hours."

"It's nice not to have to put up with a husband." Norma agreed.

She and Alex exchanged looks.  
"I wouldn't know. Never had a husband before." he told her.

She laughed at the comment. It was odd to have Alex, always so stoic and grumpy make a joke. An actual joke that was funny. Clearly he was a different man when he wasn't on the job. It felt good to laugh again after all that had happened.

The insurance check was just the latest in things that kept her up at night. Money that was just sitting there and she couldn't get to it.  
"Mom! You're gonna scare off the fish!" Dylan complained.

Norma looked up to see her oldest had thrown his line in and was standing on the edge of the boat.  
"Dylan, no sit back down." she ordered.

"He's fine." Alex said. "The water's still."

Norma wasn't listening to him and rushed to her son's side. She quickly pulled the child back to a safer spot and made him sit down.  
"You could fall in." she scolded.

"Mom! This is fishing. You're messing it all up!" Dylan told her. .  
"If 'messing it up' means I don't want you to drown, then fine, I'm messing it all up." she argued.

"Dylan, stay in the seat." Alex told him. "Your mom's right, you could have fallen overboard and I don't want to jump in to save you."

Norma turned to look at him in annoyance. Why did it feel like Alex was teasing her?

He looked back at her from his seat. His eyes innocent, but mischievous.

"What? The water's really cold." he explained.

~ Aside from Norma's paranoia, Alex thought things went very well. It was clear she had no interest in fishing, but it was nice to spend time on the bay. There was a sort of magic in the air this time of morning. None of the summer people were out yet and Alex hand't seen a single boat belonging to the other fishermen. He could easily imagine they were the only people in the world here.

He glanced back at Norma to see if she felt it to, and saw her shivering slightly from the chill in the air. Even though it was summer, the bay still held onto the cold in the mornings. While he and Dylan had dressed more practical for the early cold that hung over the water, Norma had worn a fairly thin summer dress with an equally thin sweater. It was an odd choice of fashion to go fishing in, but she did look very lovely. Especially when the breeze picked up and made her dress flutter slightly.

"Cold?" He asked and pulled off the leather jacket he alway wore. She nodded, her lower lip still quivering slightly. Alex nodded for her to lift up her broken arm and let him thread it through the sleeve first. Her body was so slight she looked to be drowning in his jacket. But she seemed warmer.  
"Thank you." she said with a soft smile.

Alex hadn't bothered to dress his own lines, but stayed entertained by Dylan's rapid progress. The little boy was able to dress his lines, organize the tackle box, and cast his reel with ease. He still needed help pulling in the bigger fish when his line suddenly jerked. His mother was terrified a shark like fish might pull too hard and drag her son underwater.

"I've never seen that happen, and I've come out here since I was Dylan's age." Alex told her.

"Never say never." Norma said. "I mean, he's little and a big fish could just pull him right overboard."

"I think you're thinking of a Bugs Bunny cartoon." he offered.

He didn't miss the look she gave him. Her eyes angry but her lips curling into an amused smile.

"Alright, Big Shot." she said. "When the Lochness Monster pulls him in, don't say I didn't warn you."

"Wow." Alex said. "We could be on the news."

That last comment was a little too much and she looked ready to argue.

Alex was quick to remove himself from the situation by helping Dylan recast his line so it would land farther out.

~ Norma had made sandwiches for all of them, even though Dylan had wanted to cook the three good sized fish he had caught. Alex had made him throw them back and Dylan had been disappointed to let them go.

"We have to let them go so there can be more fish next season." he explained. "It's the law here."

"You don't eat the fish?" Norma questioned. She handed Alex his lunch but Dylan was too focused on what he was doing to eat.  
Alex nodded.

"Over fishing the past few years." he explained. "Environmental survey was done and everything. But the bay is making a comeback."

"That's good." Norma said. "So you've been doing this all your life?"

Alex washed down his food with bottled water and nodded.  
"Yeah, I always had friends who's parents took them out." he explained slowly. "I always went with them."

"You never went fishing with your dad?" she asked.

Alex didn't answer. The two of them watched Dylan in silence.  
"Your dad must have been busy. He was the Sheriff when you were little right? He must have had to work a lot." she said. She had meant it to be gentle. She didn't want Alex to be upset by her knowing anything personal about him.

He didn't answer right away. A darkness seemed to have passed over his features.

"My dad was the Sheriff." he said soberly.

Norma knew not to say anything, but she couldn't help it.  
"Yeah, that's what Sybil said. I had asked her why she calls you Little Bear. She told me your dad was called-"

"He's in prison, Norma." Alex interrupted curtly.

Norma wished she had just kept her mouth shut.

"I'm sure you've heard the gossip." he added.

"People gossip about me to." she said at last.

"I doubt they gossip about you like they do about me." Alex said. He refused to look at her. His face seemed angry.

He was quite for a long time. The two of them letting the stillness of the morning add to the weight in the air.

"So, what did you hear?" Alex asked.  
"Nothing. I shouldn't have brought it up. It's personal." she said quickly.

"No, I'm curious." he said. "Did you hear the theory that I was the one to turn him in? Or that I bribed the DEA agent? My personal favorite was that I'm really a double agent and this is my cover."

He smiled, but it was a mocking smile.

"I'm sorry I said anything." she said at last.

Alex shook his head.

"No, it's fine. It's old news anyway. I shouldn't be bothered by it. No, Norma, my dad never took me fishing. He wasn't a good person for most of my life. He was a dirty cop, a bad father and an even worse husband." Alex explained.

He was silent for a long time. Norma felt uncomfortable at the sight of his face losing whatever happiness he'd gained that morning.

"I'm sure you heard about my mother." he sighed. His voice was still angry.

Norma pressed her lips shut.

"She passed away. Seven years ago next week. Suicide." he said coldly.

"I'm so sorry, Alex." she whispered. She meant it to. She was sorry this happen to him.

"Yeah, that's my sad story." he admitted with a pang of indifference. "We all have them. It's only fair you know mine since I know yours."

Norma rolled her eyes. Alex thought he knew all her sad stories. He hadn't even scratched the surface.

"See this?" she asked. Her hand going between her legs, pulling up the sheer summer dress she wore.

Alex looked slightly alarmed that she was exposing herself to him when her son was barely five feet away. His gaze relaxed when he saw the frighting scar on her thigh.

Norma ran a hand over it. The scar was her oldest friend.

"My first memory." she said with difficulty. "Was being burned."

He looked at the scar for a few moments then back at her.

"I was about three and my brother and I were hungry. So, we decided to start a campfire behind our house and cook some hotdogs." she explained. She almost laughed at the absurdity of it. "I think the electric and the gas must have been shut off because we couldn't use the stove and a fire outside seems like a great idea. We actually bought the hot dogs at the store with some spare change and decided we could cook our own food and take care of ourselves. I remember I was running and jumping and then I feel into the fire. It burned me. My brother, he pulled me out. He doctored up my burn, and we ate our hotdogs."

"Were your parents mad?" Alex asked. He didn't seem to judge her actions as a child. Didn't show horror at the situation.

Norma shook her head. She was smiling and she didn't know why.  
"No, they had been gone for about a week. Left us alone. When they finally came back…" she sighed. She didn't want to remember when her father came back home "I don't remember why they left us for so long. I just remember my brother took care of me. We felt very independent. It's odd that it was such a hard time in my life, but I don't think I miserable. Maybe because I was so young."

Alex was watching her fingers trace over her scar. His eyes seemed fascinated by the way she caressed her own skin.

"It was always like that when I was growing up. We were just abandoned a lot. We were always on our own. My mother wasn't really there mentally. She drank and took a lot of medications. It was like she just checked out. We never had a stable place to live, never enough of anything. My father was always angry. I remember hiding from him. My brother…" she took a deep breath. "He would always get in my dad's way, you know? If I was the one who was about to get the belt, my brother would do something to piss him off more so that I wouldn't get hurt."

Norma pulled her dress down and covered her scar again.

"Where is your brother now?" Alex asked. His eyes were focused on her. The cop in him listening to every detail so he might better understand. The sun had finally come up while they were talking. It was going to be a beautiful day. Norma pictured the lie she told herself and decided it was a nice enough story to tell Alex. For all she knew about her brother these days, it was the truth.  
"He went into the Army. Got in trouble and was discharged. He got mixed up with some bad people and got himself killed." she said simply.

"I'm sorry." Alex said sadly.

Norma shook her head.

"All in a day's work. I had left home long before it happened. I married my his school boyfriend and had Dylan. That's how I escaped." she admitted.

Alex was still interested and she knew that he felt pity for her. She smiled and pretended her past didn't bother her at all.

"So, that's **my** sad story." she said happily. She tried to smile brighter, but it came out wrong. "We all have them."

"We make a good pair." Alex told her.

She smiled at the comment.

"Yeah, we can start our very own club." she laughed.

"The 'Dad was a corrupt piece of shit club'. We could have special shirts made." he added.

"The 'Dad beat his kids and half starved them club'. We'll have lunch catered." Norma added. Her joke seemed to fall flat. But it made her happy to share her misery with someone who could respect it.

"Maybe we can choose our own destiny. Not have our past choose it for us." she said sadly. Lately it felt like her own path in life would always be tragic. Like she was a puppet and someone was pulling all the strings.

"Maybe." Alex said sourly. "Maybe we're just doomed to be the people we are. Maybe we can't change our true nature. We can't change our lives."

"You changed my life." she offered. "I would still be an abused wife. My son's would still be terrorized. You changed my life when you pulled Sam over that night."

~ Alex felt his heart beat faster. Her words were so soft and encouraging. He wasn't used to subtle hints from the opposite sex. He wasn't sure if this was the right moment. But the sun was breaking over the bay, the air was growing warmer. He looked to Norma and her eyes were like fire. Her body was leaning close to his and he knew this was the perfect moment.

He leaned in slightly to her. He pictured in his mind the endeavor going more smoothly. Norma pulled away sharply. Her lips clamping shut over the idea he had almost kissed her. Alex was quick to turn away from her. As if he had just lost his balance and nothing more. He focused his attention on the other end of the bay while she looked in the opposite direction.

' _Nothing to see here, folks_.' he thought to himself.

"I can't do this." she whispered. Her breathing was heavy. "It's too much."

"It's fine. It's okay." he whispered back. They refused to look at each other.

"I'm not ready for this." she admitted in a hushed voice. "Not even close."

"It's fine." he said quickly.

He wanted to be done talking about it.

He looked back at her and saw she was embarrassed. Her summer dress doing that heavenly flutter as another breeze kicked up. He found her hand, her good one, resting on her lap and she let him to take it in his. She wore no jewelry other than a vintage style wrist watch, and her fingernails were clean and smooth. She allowed him to gently inspect her hand for as long as he needed to. Her own slim fingers were running over the palm of his hand in a way that he liked, but couldn't ever remember liking before. It felt like a very real moment of intimacy was passing between them. This simple connection of flesh on flesh.

When he looked back up into her face, he saw that her eyes were sad.

"I'm sorry." she admitted.

Alex shook his head.

He turned to check on Dylan and saw the child wasn't there.

"You gotta be kidding me." he said darkly and abandoned Norma. The Deputy quickly reaching the edge of the boat and laying down to counter his weight over the edge. With one arm he pulled Dylan out of the water. The boy had fallen in while they were distracted. The life vest he wore keeping him afloat.

"I fell in." Dylan coughed once he was safely back on deck.

 **I know that is not how Norma got her scar on the show. But I'm not a fan of the whole incest storyline. I decided to make the back story for Norma a little different. This way, there is a healthier bond between her and Caleb when they were growing up. That he looked after her and that she wasn't always miserable during her childhood.**

 **There will be more about her childhood because I want to show how it shaped Norma into the woman she is now. How it effected how she does everything.**

 **I think it's also important to show how abusive her parents were... and might still be. Because who knows who might show up in White Pine Bay.**


	22. Chapter 22

22.

~ Norma wasn't as upset at Dylan falling overboard as Alex feared. She didn't even say: ' _I told you so_ '. She had gently suggested they go back to shore as soon as her son was safely back on the boat.

"I think we need to take swimming lessons." she told Dylan. The child had been made to strip down to everything but his underwear and wrapped in a warm, dry blanket to stave off hypothermia. He sat on the tailgate of the old Blazer and shivered.

"What happened to staying in the boat, Buddy?" Alex asked as soon as " **In The Jailhouse Now** " was hooked up for the trip home.  
"My fish got away." Dylan said bitterly. "I was trying to pull it in."

Alex wanted to smile, but there was something different in the air now between him and Norma. He couldn't pretend that they were anything more substantial now. A spell had been broken. He felt that magic had slipped out of his grasp when she pulled away from him in the boat. He wasn't angry at her. He understood that after all that happened with her husband and then with Shelby, it was only natural to be scared of any romantic offers. No matter how sincere.

"Well, we were lucky that's the worst of it." Norma told him. Her voice was patient and kind.

It was odd to see her so calm. Alex fully expected her to be yelling at him. Her child had almost drown and the two of them had been too focused on each other to even noticed he'd gone into the water.  
"I think we're ready." Alex told them once the boat was hooked up.  
"Do we have to go?" Dylan asked.  
"Falling in the water means it's time to call it a day." Romero said. Dylan looked mutinous.

"Better get in the back seat." his mother told him. "You'll be warmer."

The little boy reluctantly did as he was told. When Alex heard the door slam shut, he pretended to be busy with hitching the boat up properly again. He heard her approaching from behind and dreaded the lecture about what happened.

"Thank you." Norma said. "It was a nice day out."

"You're not going to say ' _I told you so_ '?" he asked.

He turned to see she looked radiant in the morning light. Her skin glowing and her face peaceful.  
"Maybe it's all this fresh air." she admitted. "It's making me really calm."

He nodded. Nature did that to him all the time.

"I'm sorry." he said softly.

"No, Dylan's fine."

"I'm sorry, Norma."

"About what?" she asked. Her voice breaking slightly. They both knew what he was apologizing for. He could see it in her eyes. They looked ready to cry and he couldn't bear it if that happened.

"What… what happened." he said clumsily. "When we were talking. I thought you wanted…"

She looked away..

"I'm not good at this." she said at last. "Look... I've been married twice and my last boyfriend was a child molester. I'm never going to be good at this, Alex."

He wanted to say something, comfort her in someway, but words always failed him at moments like this. Whenever he wanted someone else to have a good opinion of him, his words would fall out broken. Whenever Norma Bates looked at him like she did, or challenged him in anyway, it was like he couldn't think strait.

"I just want to be on my own for awhile." she admitted at last. Her good arm folded over her bad one. The cast, as always, was breaking the picture of perfection. "It's important to me that I do this on my own. I've never not had a man in my life. Never." she told him.

"I understand that." he said at last.

"But I still… " she took a deep breath and Alex hoped she wouldn't start crying. Her eyes practically glowed with the blue in them. The tears she wanted to shed. "I still want us to be friends." she said at last.

"Of course." he agreed quickly. He swallowed hard that bitter pill that hurt all the way down.

There it was. The friend zone. No one ever escaped the friend zone.

Alex didn't argue with her. Didn't tell her he didn't want to be her friend. She seemed too fragile to make demands on. So, instead he packed up the Blazer and drove Norma and Dylan home. His mind kicking himself for what had happened between them and knowing it would never happen again.

~ The fall came and the tourists fled when the rain started again. White Pine Bay was so different when the summer left. The constant overcast of rain made Norma's world dreary and grey. The boys were forced to play indoors and when they ventured outside, it was a constant struggle to keep them from tracking mud into the house.

She found that in those months she was lonely. She had always felt lonely, but now she felt the sharpness of it more than ever before.

Dylan turned six and started school. Norma took him to the elementary building on the first day and met his teacher. He was excited to start school, but nervous to. School for Dylan, daycare for Norman and work for her. She would pick Norman up from daycare after work and then Dylan, who she signed up for an after school program. She took them home, made dinner, gave them their baths and put them to bed.

She went to bed alone and felt the emptiness growing like a cancer inside her. She wished it was still summer again. Wished that she could make it stop.

When she fell asleep, she dreamed of beautiful things. In that place of dreams she was wearing a gauzy summer dress and someone, a man who's face she couldn't make out, was waiting for her. They were alone in a garden and she felt his presence before she could see him. His hands came from behind her; resting on her hips and then traveling up her waist. His face was buried in her hair and she delighted over the feel of his warm breath tickling her skin.

She felt his hands pull at her body. Pulling her into him because they could never be too close. The lovers never wanted to lose contact, not even for a second. Her back was to his chest and his hands were strong and capable. Her dress felt lose and his kiss was traveling down her spine. His hot breath felt like she was being branded as belonging only to him.

She felt how delightfully warm his skin was when he slipped a hand inside her unzipped dress and cupped her breast. She was breathing hard while her lover devoured her.

"I think you're beautiful." he said in a deep voice.

Norma didn't want to wake up from her pleasant dream of such seduction. It had felt so real to her. Her body responding to her imagined encounter in a way that was embarrassing. But, she woke up alone. Just as she had gone to bed. It was raining outside again and her world was just as gloomy as before.

The only bright spot was that her cast came off in early September. It had been almost three months of being trapped in various stages of casts to finally be freed.  
"You'll have pins in that arm for the rest of your life I'm afraid." the doctor told her.

Norma looked at the scars on her left arm. The most horrible was where the bone ripped out of her skin. Added to that were surgical scars when they went in to fix all that damage.

She ran a hand over her newest scar.

' _Just another one for my collection_.' she thought. ' _It just means I survived it._ '

Little Norman turned three and she felt her depression grow with the fact he wasn't a baby anymore. She tried to find comfort in routine, but her loneliness was becoming physically painful lately. She would wake up in the morning and her bones would hurt. She always felt tense and ready for an argument. That black bird sitting on her shoulder was laughing at her everyday. It's voice sounding terribly familiar and horrible.

She didn't really have friends; people who she could talk to about how she felt. The ladies she worked with, she didn't see socially. Her children were too young to be close to in the way she needed. Even Sybil was busy all the time. Occasionally she saw Deputy Romero in town when she was driving to work. He didn't seem to see or care about her when she drove by. He was always talking to people in town. Always a group of teenagers who looked like they were up to no good.

She had to fight the urge to stop and talk to him. She hated to admit that she missed him. She missed the comfort he seemed to radiate towards her. She had always felt safer when he was around. She wasn't sure why. Maybe it was because he was the one who stood between her and Sam. Between her son and Shelby. The demons who she couldn't fight alone, he battled them with her. For her.

Then again, maybe it was nothing more than his being a cop. Maybe it was just his job, and she shouldn't pretend it was anything special.

After she saw him in town talking to those teenagers, she dreamed her most provocative dream yet. That Alex was in her house, sitting in her chair and she was straddled on his lap. She was kissing him with feverish abandonment and she felt his hands moving up her dress. His kiss was all over her body and she was shamefully unclothed for him in moments. His kiss was insistent and powerful. His hands and body refused to let her escape. Her naked skin was on his, and she felt herself burning alive.

Norma woke up from this latest moment of lunacy feeling deeply lost. There was an emptiness inside her now that she had told herself she didn't need filled. She wanted to live her life on her own. Wanted to become the woman she always wished she could be. She wanted to do that on her own. After everything that men had done to her, put her through, she didn't expect to ever feel this way again. She didn't want to feel this way. It was a hard thing to admit she was lonely for a man.

~ There was a chill in the air when she drove the boys to school and daycare the last Friday of October.

"Mrs. Spencer says you've been talking during story time, Dylan." Norma told her oldest child. Both boys were in the back seat. Norman in his new car seat. Her baby growing up so fast he needed a new one. Dylan sat next to his brother and was looking over his backpack.

"It's boring." he admitted.  
"I would love to have story time." Norma told her son. "That sounds like fun."

"It's not." Dylan said.

Norma had made a point of telling Dylan and she and his teacher, Mrs. Spencer, were the best of friends after they had so briefly met that first day. She had scared her oldest into compliance by telling him that, as her new best friend, Mrs. Spencer was going to call Norma each time Dylan misbehaved.

It seemed a good plan and so far it was working. Dylan didn't want his mother alerted to any of his misdeeds.

"Dylan, I want you to do well in school." Norma told him gently. "You're a bright kid. You can do anything."

"It's boring in school." Dylan complained. "All we do is color and go over the alphabet and do numbers."

"You already know your alphabet and your numbers." Norma told him. "So why are you having trouble?"

"Because it's boring." Dylan complained.

Norma was about to ask him why it was so boring when the driver of the large delivery truck T-boned her old Buick. She felt the impact jar her entire body. The truck hitting them with such force, it broke all the windows of the car out.

She stayed conscious the whole time of the accident and realized with cold, paralyzing fear that the delivery truck wasn't slowing down. That it was on a down hill slope and was pushing her now decimated car down with it. She registered people screaming around her in horror at the scene of the delivery truck pushing her Buick off the dock and into the bay.

The cold water was pouring into the car; her children were screaming in terror.


	23. Chapter 23

23.

~ Alex was first to arrive on the scene of the accident. Just minutes after it happened in fact. He had heard the crash from the Sheriff's station parking lot and saw the cluster of people around the bay. He saw the back end of the delivery truck with it's hazard lights on, it's front half submerged into he bay.

"Margo, I need an ambulance to Franklyn Loading Dock. There's been an accident." Romero called in once he climbed into his SUV. His day was starting a little early with a car accident.

"Already getting calls, Alex." Margo came back. "I've got an ambulance on it's way along with fire and rescue. Any word on the Buick with the kids?"

Alex felt his heart stop.

"A Buick?" he asked back. "How… how many children are involved?"

"Two I think. We just got a call in." Margo said over the com.

Romero almost hit another car when he peeled out of the parking lot. He sped down the old main street to Franklyn with sirens and flashing lights. People who had seen the accident were quickly clearing out of the way for him.

He braked just before the SUV drove into he bay as well and saw the horrific sight of Norma Bates' old Buick already half submerged.

"There's kids in there, Deputy!" an older man was saying. Alex watched a few good smartens trying to wade out into the bay to rescue what could only be Norman and Dylan from the car.

"People, I need you all out of the bay now. Fire and rescue will be here any second." Romero said in a clam voice he didn't really feel. Alex had to force himself to look away from Norma's car and keep control of the crowd. The last thing they needed were more people to rescue.

"The car must have hit the guard rail. Maybe it's what's keeping it from going under." one of the onlookers said.

"The kids are screaming!" A woman cried.

"I need everyone to stay back." Alex ordered. It was with relief he saw the fire truck and paramedics arriving. Further pushing the people back and out of the way.

Alex used the time to check out the driver of the truck that had hit Norma. The cab was half submerged in the water, but Alex could tell the man behind the wheel was in no danger of drowning.  
Keith Summers looked up at the deputy through red eyes. Alex could smell the alcohol oh his breath.

"You stupid piece of shit." Alex growled at Summers.

He left the driver of the truck.  
"We have a woman and two small children in that car!" Alex waved for rescue workers to come in.

"The driver of the truck?" one of the EMT asked.

"He's fine." Alex barked. "We have to get to that car before it goes under."

Alex turned back to the Buick when a great cry erupted from the people watching. The old Buick had started to sink more. It's front end dipping down and it's back rising up. He could hear screams coming from the car.

Without hesitating, Alex and two of the rescue workers were in the water. It was nothing new to these locals to swim in the cold bay waters. Alex regretted not taking off his belt with his gun later, but that was all that slowed him down.

He heard Norma's voice trying to keep the boys calm while her car was slowly creeping into the water. The nose of the Buick dipping down and forcing it's passengers into an awkward position.

"Mom!" cried Dylan in absolute terror.

"It's okay, Honey. You're okay." Norma was saying.

Alex arrived first, not realizing then he was the fastest swimmer and gripped onto the door of the Buick.

"Norma?" he called out over the cries of the boys.  
"Alex?" Norma cried. "The car is sinking!"

"Get the kids out first." Romero ordered the two rescue workers who arrived after he did. Alex had carefully opened Dylan's side door only to have more water rush in.

Dylan screamed at the sight of the water flooding over him at a faster rate, but the Buick slowed it's sinking. The back end lowering now it was being equalized so the rescue workers could get the boys out. One fished Norman out of his car seat right through the window, the other took Dylan out of his seat belt. The child screaming, even as he was being saved.

The Buick shifted again and Alex kept his grip on the door frame. He wasn't ready to let go until Norma was out.

"Go! I'll get her out." Alex ordered the rescue workers who were swimming back to shore with the children.  
He looked back at Norma in the driver's seat. She was bleeding from a head wound and the water was already at her hips.  
"Norma, I need you to open your door and climb out." Alex ordered.

She was gripping tightly to her steering wheel and looked like she couldn't move.

"I can't!" she cried.

"Just open the door and step out of the car. I'm right here." Alex said.  
"No, I'm stuck!" Norma shouted.

The passenger side door was smashed from the wreck, but the windows were broken out and Alex pulled himself into the sinking car. He felt it shift again as soon as he climbed inside. The water now rising quicker as he tried to keep his body buoyant. Without preamble, he pulled at her leg. First one, then the other. She cried out in pain when he tried to free her left leg.

"It's pinned down!" she cried. Alex unapologetically leaned into her lap, his hands fumbling for whatever was keeping her foot and leg locked in the car. He saw and then felt the metal of the bay gate had pierced the car when it hit. Norma's foot was wedged in like a snare. When she tried to wiggle free, the snare would grow tighter and the car would sink further down.  
"Norma, stop moving." Alex ordered calmly.

He took a few deep breathes and tried to figure out what to do in the short time they had. He could try to open her door, it would make the water come in faster and what if it didn't dislodge whatever had her trapped? No, it was best to keep her door shut. It might buy them more time.

He looked back at her and saw her eyes were wide with fear.

"You hit the bay gate when you went into the water. It's probably on the bottom right now, and it's the only thing thats keeping you from being submerged. If you keep struggling, you're going to make us sink faster."

Norma shook her head. Her eyes were wild.

"No." she breathed. "I have to get out."

"Stay still." Alex told her. "The gate is keeping the car up, but it won't hold forever."

As he said this, the second team of rescue workers were coming to the car in a small boat from the fire department.

"Romero?" a man called. "Bring her out."

"Harvey!" Alex shouted frantically. "I need under water welding equipment right now! Her foot is trapped!"

Alex saw the rescue workers looking worried.

Harvey Rasey was thirty years on the job as a paramedic. Alex remembered him all to well from when he was a kid.

"Team two, we need underwater welding equipment and bring extra scuba equipment. Full face mask, none of that buddy breathing shit." Rasey spat into his radio.

"What's happening?" Norma gasped after the Buick shook slightly but didn't sink further.

"They are going to use an underwater welding unit to cut you free." Alex explained.

"Scuba gear?" she asked. Her blue eyes flicking nervously to him.  
Alex took a second, but only a second.  
"In case the car goes under. So you can still breathe." he explained.

Her eyes went wide and she reached for him. He took her hand. Her skin already freezing cold from the water.  
"No. No I don't want to be under the water, Alex. No." she panted. Panic washing over her just as the water was still coming in. It was to her chest now.

"You can do this." Alex said.

"No. No I can't do this." she cried.

"Yes you can, Norma. It's going to be alright. I'm right here."

"God." she whimpered. "What's going to happen to the boys?"

In her naked panic she was moving too much and causing the car to shift and sink.

"Norma. Stop it!" Alex said in a forceful voice.

She immediately stopped crying. Her breathing coming hard. She turned to him with her expression still riddled with fear.  
"I need you to stay calm." he said stoically. "I know it's hard. But you have to stay calm right now."

She shook her head. She was defiant to the end.

"Alex, I don't want to die." she whispered.

"You won't." he said forcefully. "I'm right here."

By the time the second team arrived, the water was to their shoulders. Norma tried to keep calm but Alex could tell it hadn't been easy. They arrived in another rescue boat and placed the scuba mask over her face before they brought in the jaws of life and the welding equipment. Several men in wet suits and scuba gear at the ready were surrounding the car. All trying to free her before the water took her under.

"Deputy." Rasey boomed out. "I need you to exit the car now."

Norma looked back at him. Her grip on his hand tightened.

"Ma'am. We have to open the car door. This will cause the car to sink. We will be welding off the metal that has you trapped. You are receiving air from the scuba mask right now so if you go underwater I want you to stay clam." Rasey was saying and Norma was shaking her head.  
"Norma, it's okay. Just breathe." Alex said.

"Alex, I need you out of that car." the order came again from Rasey.

Romero took one last look at Norma Bates. Her blue eyes were like fire. He couldn't help but to feel afraid of that fire going out.

She nodded and let go of his hand.

"Now, Deputy!"

"I'll see you soon." Alex said and abandoned Norma in her sinking car.

He swam out and was quickly pulled from the cold water by Sheriff Wilson in one of the other rescue boats.  
"Are you crazy?" Wilson hissed at him as soon as Romero was safe.

Alex didn't answer but looked back at the sinking car. He couldn't tell from this angle, but rescue workers were swarmed around the driver's side. Most of them in wet suits.

To his horror, the car started to skink again. He heard people on shore scream at the sight of the old Buick going under water.

Alex waited and held his breath.

"They have a scuba mask on her." Wilson said. This was of no comfort to Romero as bubbles of air reached the surface of the water.

"Thank God it happened so close to town. The EMT station was right there." Wilson added.

Alex watched the water for signs Norma was free. More air bubbles came up and he couldn't hold his breath any longer.

He felt sick and dizzy at the thought she was drowning in that car. He had left her there to drown. He had left her in that car to die.

He almost didn't see the man pop out of the water in his black wet suit. He handed over the welding torch to another worker in a nearby boat, was given another metal tool and dove back into the water again.

Alex held his breath and waited for something to happen. As soon as he ran out of air again, he saw Norma and the two rescue workers in scuba suits break the surface of the bay.

With relief he saw her reaching to be pulled up into the boat. Her body looking especially frail in her soaking wet clothes. Her flesh was almost blue from the cold water.

"See?" Wilson was saying while Alex watched the rescue team lay Norma down on their boat and cover her with blankets. Her vitals were being taken and she was shaking. She looked awful, but she was alive.


	24. Chapter 24

24.

~ "I'm fine. I don't need all of this." Norma was saying. Her teeth were chattering and she was shivering despite the layers of warm blankets over her.  
"I just want to get the boys and go home." she told the paramedic who was taking her vitals for the third time.

"Mrs. Bates, you've been in a serious car accident. You almost drowned." the lady paramedic said.

"But I'm okay now." Norma insisted. "We don't need to go to the hospital."

"Yes, we do." the paramedic said. The ambulance was lurching down the street towards the hospital. Norma had been arguing about going there since they pulled her from the water.

"My boys. Are you sure they're alright?" she asked.

The paramedic pulled out her stethoscope again to listen to her heart and lungs.

"Yes. Deputy Romero helped pull them out of the car himself." she said.

"But they're okay? We were hit by a truck. They weren't hurt?" Norma asked.

She was shaking violently now. The cold from the water seemed to have gone deep into her bones.

"What I saw, they looked okay." the paramedic told her honestly. "They just looked shaken up, but that's understandable. They were taken to the emergency room to be checked out. You'll see them when you get there."

Norma nodded and tried to relax her body.

"Why do these things keep happening to me?" she asked suddenly.

The paramedic stayed focused on her work, but was still listening.

"I feel like I'm cursed." Norma said sadly. "No matter what I try to do, fate keeps pushing me towards disaster. Maybe I'm doomed. Maybe I've always been doomed."

"Mrs. Bates," the paramedic said calmly. "You're not doomed. You've been blessed. You and your children were saved today when, in any other situation, you would have all drowned. Trust me, someone is watching over you."

~ There was a certain satisfaction to watching Keith Summers being arrested for the final time. Sure the town drunk had been arrested so many times Alex had lost count, but he knew that now would be the last time.

Sherif Wilson put the cuffs on the man himself. Keith's wide body could barely waddle to the patrol car he was so intoxicated.

"That's it for Summers." Wilson was saying.

Alex watched the ambulance Norma was in leaving for the hospital. The towns people had gathered to watch the spectacle of her being rescued and had cheered when she had been safely delivered back to shore. Alex had hung back when she was loaded in the ambulance. The crowds of people were all locals and he'd known most of them al his life. He didn't want people to think things about the two of them. This town gossiped enough.  
"He's going to prison." Wilson said.

Alex blinked and looked back at the Sheriff.  
"Prison?" he asked.

"Attempted vehicular manslaughter." Wilson said. "With his arrest record, I don't see Keith Summers getting out any time soon."  
"Lets hope it sticks. His mother's always bailing him out." Alex admitted.  
"Not this time." Wilson told him. "The Summers family don't have the money they used to. Their property is underwater with the bank. The house and the motel are going to be up for repossession in a few weeks. I just got the paperwork to head up the eviction."

"Good." Alex grumbled. "Maybe they'll finally tear down that awful motel."

"Are you going to follow the ambulance? Check on Norma?" Wilson asked casually.

Alex turned to the Sheriff in surprise.

Wilson shrugged.  
"You should take a shower first, dry off. I don't want you catching phenomena from your latest heroics." the Sheriff said. "I want you to take the rest of the day off to. That's not a request."  
"Thought I wasn't supposed to get close to her." Alex remarked.  
"I thought you already were close to her." Wilson responded.

~ Alex showered at the station and changed into street clothes. He smelled like the bay water and even though the cold never bothered him, he made sure to drink plenty of hot coffee before he went back outside again.

He was waved into the emergency room at the front desk. He didn't even ask for Norma Bates or show his badge; they seemed to know that he would come for her.

"She and the little ones are going to be fine, Deputy." A passing nurse said. "They're in the back."

Alex decided not to think about why the entire staff here seemed alright with letting him in and updating him on Norma Bates when he wasn't family.

He didn't think about that because he found Norma with her two boys waiting to be discharged at the end of the emergency room. Dylan and Norman were curled around their mother like house cats on the small bed. Her youngest fitting neatly near her belly as he desired to go back into the womb. Dylan, always the rebel, lay at the wrong side of the bed by her feet.  
"Hi, Alex." Norma said groggily. Her hair was flat and tangled from the water and her skin looked especially pale.  
"How are you?" he asked and looked over the head wound she had received from the crash. It had been bandaged with surgical tape and didn't look too bad.

"Better." she said quickly. She put a hand to the bandage on her head. "No concussion. No broken bones. Think there my be bruising around my ankle but that's it."

She nodded to the boys who were stetted out around her. They looked shaken, but alright.

"I can't believe it, but we're all fine." she said with a shrug.

"Best news I've heard all day." he agreed. "Well, second best. The man who hit you was Keith Summers. He was drunk and given the severity of the crash he's going away for a very long time, Norma."

She reached out her hand to him and he gladly took it. Her skin was cold and he was instantly reminded of his mother was when he found her that summer day. Alex shivered slightly at the memory but tried not to show it.

"You know, I've thought about it." Norma said weakly. She looked too tired to think about anything.

"About what?" Alex prompted. She seemed serious at that moment and he was sure she was about to deliver some very bad news.

"I think you're right. I think it's time to get a new car." she whispered.

Alex felt his heart beat faster when he saw that wonderful smile come over her face. It started slowly and made her look beautiful; despite her horrible ordeal. He noticed her eyes were a new color now. They were that same color blue he dreamed about. The color that promised… something.

Alex nodded.

"I think that's a good idea." he said. He tried not to smile, but be couldn't pass up the chance to tease her a little. "I don't think we can trade the Buick in though."

She was really smiling now. An exhausted laugh bubbling up out of her.

"Drat." she whispered.

He ran his fingers over the lines of her palm. Her flesh was becoming warmer the longer he held her hand. He lightly touched the soft skin on her wrist and felt her pulse snapping strong and steady.  
"I'll go find your doctor." he said at last. His voice a mere whisper in the that small space. "Then I'll take you and the boys home."

~ Norma looked in the back seat of Alex's police SUV to check on Norman and Dylan. Her oldest still looked worried to be in a car again, but he remained quite and still. Only his eyes showed that he was afraid.

Norman had turned three during the last part of summer, but he was always a small child. He looked too little to be sitting in back with just a seatbelt on.

"I'll have to get another car seat, for Norman." she told Romero. "Are you sure he's going to be okay back there?"

"He has his seatbelt on." Alex said calmly. "We'll go slow." he promised.

She turned back around and tried to still the waves of anxiety she felt at being in a car and moving. She expected to feel terrified of the other cars passing her. The memory of that large truck striking them as too new. If she closed her eyes, she could still see it. Still feel the impact of the crash and the cold water of the bay.

She expected to hate the ride home, but for some reason, she felt safe with Alex driving them. Maybe it was just being in that large police SUV, or the fact he was a good driver. When he was driving them home, she felt safer than she'd ever felt before. She knew it was good for someone else to step in and take care of them now. That she should have felt this way for all her life, but was denied that right by her abusive father and her husbands. Before she had always been afraid and distrustful of others. Now, she could only describe this feeling with one word. Contentment.

When Alex drove up to her little house, it had started to rain again. He took the liberty of parking in the garage since her Buick wouldn't be returning home.

"I'll get Norman." he whispered when the engine was turned off.

Norma nodded and undid her seatbelt. It was like her body could only operate in slow motion right now. The shock of what had happen to them that day had drained all her energy, and she still had so much to do.

"Dylan, honey." she said to her oldest. "We have to give you and Norman and bath."

"I'm tired." he said fitfully.  
"I am to, honey." She said. "You can take a bath with your brother and then you can go to sleep.

It was only three in the afternoon, but they were all exhausted. Norma was looking forward to going to bed herself.

"Why do we have to take a bath?" Dylan asked petulantly.

"The bay water. We all smell bad." his mother said.

Dylan started to argue but Norma felt her breath catch when she saw Alex circle around the SUV to meet them. He was carrying Norman easily in one arm. Her youngest child leaning on him for comfort. His thin little arms were wrapped around Alex's neck and his small face wanting to rest on the Deputy's capable shoulder.

She felt her stomach want to do flip flops at the sight of them like that. She never remembered Sam showing any concern for Norman. Never saw the tenderness that seemed to come so naturally to Alex Romero. She was reminded of what the girls at work were saying about how appealing it was to see him carry a helpless child.

"Your house keys are still in the bay." Alex reminded her.

Norma's mind had been miles away when he spoke to her and she had to try and focus on what he said. She nodded and picked up a rusted tool box that sat on a neglected shelf. She had stashed an extra key there for emergencies.

"Good. I didn't want to break down your door." Romero told her in a whisper.

She knew he was teasing her, but couldn't summon up the energy to smile. She was too tired. Plus, he had caught her off guard when he carried her son like that. She felt she had been blindfolded, spun around, and told to walk.

"Boys, we have to take a bath." she reminded them when they made their way into the house again. Everyone was glad to be home after such a horrible day.

She looked back at Alex who still held Norman in his arms.

"Will you stay awhile?" she asked. He nodded.

"I'm not going anywhere." he told her.

~ Alex wasn't sure how best to help. Even in her exhausted state, Norma Bates seemed to have enough energy to keep control over the situation. She ran the bath water and told Dylan she wasn't going to waste time with two separate baths for each child.

"I don't want to take a bath with Norman!" Dylan complained when she put bubbles in the water for them. Alex, at Norma's instructions was helping her youngest undress for bath time. Norman allowed Romero to pull his shirt off and his shoes and socks. After that, Alex wasn't sure what to do. He wasn't used to children so young or what the rules were about bath time and adults.

Norma sensed his trepidation.

"I can take it from here." she told him with a weak smile. "It won't be long if you want to wait."

"I can wait." Alex said quickly before closing the door on Norma and her boys. She'd been right, it didn't take long to get the boys in order. She called for his help again after less than half an hour. The boys were clean and redressed in their night clothes despite it still being light outside.

"Can you take Norman?" she whispered. "I think he's about to fall asleep on me."

He saw her youngest was sitting on the floor, his eyes heavy with sleep.

"Sure." he whispered back. It was easy to lift the little boy. Norman didn't weigh much and looked like he would grow up to be a thin child. Her youngest automatically wrapped his arms around the Deputy's neck when Alex stood back up.

Dylan seemed less comforted.

"That truck was bad." he told them when Norma guided everyone to the boys room.

"It's over now." Norma told him. "Everyone is fine."

Dylan looked troubled, but complied when his mother put him to bed. Alex watched her cover her oldest up, smooth his hair down and picked up his dirty clothes that had been tossed on the floor.

She turned back to Romero and unfolded Norman's twin bed on the opposite wall of Dylan's bed. Her youngest felt warm and heavy against Alex's chest and he almost hated to break that trust by putting him to bed. But it was an easy thing to do. Norman's little body curling into a position of sleep as soon as he was laid down. Norma covered him up, smoothed down his hair and repeated her ritual of tidying up.

It was raining harder now and the boys would no doubt sleep well.  
"I need to take a shower." Norma sighed as soon as she closed the door to the boys room.

"I should go." Alex offered. She was home safe now and didn't need anything else.

"No, it's okay. I won't be long." she promised and disappeared into the little bathroom.

Alex felt oddly out of place in her home. The children were asleep and she was occupied. He felt like an intruder when he stood alone in the living room with all her things. Her home had come furnished, but it seemed to suit her well. All the chairs around the kitchen table were mismatched but still coordinated. Her living room had an over stuffed side chair and he knew form first hand experience how comfortable her couch was. Instead of dishes in her china hutch, Norma had placed the boys art work, little league trophy and arts and crafts to display.

The boys had their toys somewhat neatly organized in the living room. Alex was sure it was hard to keep a house clean with children this young, but somehow Norma Bates did it. There were no dirty dishes in the sink, or dirty clothes or muddy footprints on the floor. Everything was clean but comfortably lived in. Exactly how a mother's home should be.

"Alex?" came a voice from the hall.

He turned and saw Norma had come back out wearing a vintage style powder blue robe. It was classically modest in the way it covered her body all the way to her feet, yet still showed off that hint of femininity. The way the ties, perfectly hugged her slender waist. It was a style that he always associated with Norma Bates. Her hair was still damp but she smelled like soap. Her skin was freshly washed and glowing once more. A hot shower had stripped away the chill from the bay. All her makeup was scrubbed off and Alex could see that she really was a natural beauty. Her facial features were delicate enough to not need the enhancements of make up.

He didn't look away her when she joined him in the living room. Instead he enjoyed the pleasure of taking her all in. The rain outside was growing louder. A definite fall storm that would bring more chill to the air. Just like on the bay, it felt like they were the last people on earth.

"Thank you." she said at last. Her robe matching perfectly with her eye color. "You jumped into the water. You got my children out."

Romero nodded. Guilt still plaguing him about the rescue.

"I'm sorry I had to leave you." he admitted.

She looked back at him in confusion.

"I had to leave you, when the car started to go under." he explained. "I'm sorry."

She shook her head.  
"I'm glad you did. I wouldn't want us both to drown." she said gently. "Besides, I knew you'd come back."

Alex felt his heart beat quicken.

Norma wrapped her arms around her slender body and looked out the bay window at the down pour.

"Shower didn't help much after being in that cold water. I don't think I'll ever be warm again." she admitted sourly. Her eyes looked bitter and hopeless.

Alex felt like another moment, golden and ready, was his once more. He tried to remain calm and not mess it up this time. She was standing so close, her body smelling of soap and clean things. He found it difficult to concentrate when she mentioned being cold. All he could think about were how he longed to keep her warm.  
"Do believe in curses?" she asked. "That we're all doomed in the end?"

Alex's concentration was broken when she asked this. She turned back to him and he saw she was very sad. Her face the same as it was the night he killed Sam Bates. It was like she was broken inside.

He must have looked confused because she explained.

"It's just that, I feel like I can't win. The moment things are getting better, something else happens. It's like I'm in a whirlpool and all these horrible things keep gravitating towards me. I feel like they're trying to drag me down and kill me." she said with a sob. She pinched her nose shut and squeezed her eyes closed. "Oh and the smell of that awful water! I still smell it. Can you smell it?"

Alex leaned in closer to her and breathed in the shampoo she used. It smelled expensive and clean.  
"I can't smell anything but soap on you." he said honestly. "It's nice."

She breathed out and tried to shake off her worries. Her body giving a little shudder.

"No, I don't believe in curses." he told her. "I don't believed we're doomed in the end."

She looked ready to cry.

"I'm just waiting for the other shoe to drop." she admitted. "I'm worried something else is going to happen. I can feel it. I feel like something terrible is going to happen. That it's going to hurt everyone I love and I don't know how to stop it."

Alex didn't wait for his moment, he pulled her into his arms with an ease he'd never experienced with a member of the opposite sex. Norma's body felt especially frail as she molded into his. Her arms were still wrapped over her chest in a gesture of self protection she probably wasn't even aware of. He enjoyed the feel of her so close to him. Relished in the experience of comforting her. It was a new sensation for him. He wasn't the kind of man who did this after all. He was removed emotionally from life and had been for years. When he needed to be sexual, there was always a lustful stamina, but no great emotion that would compel him to fidelity or even kindness. He wasn't sure why he felt like this with Norma Bates, but a whirlpool was just as apt a description as any. He kept finding himself drawn to her. She was like gravity and he was pulled in.  
"I know what I said that day." she said weakly. Her face was buried in his chest. "But I've missed you."

He ran his hands down the fabric of her robe; his arms pulling her closer.  
"I've missed you to." he whispered as his lips caressed her forehead.


	25. Chapter 25

**Okay. So a LOT of people are going to be pissed at me for this chapter. I dare you not to read.**

25.

~ Norma woke up before dawn to see Alex gently snoring next to her.

' _Oh, shit._ ' she thought. ' _It wasn't a dream._ '

In the deepest well of her heart, she felt joy wanting to spring to the surface. But that black bird was back on her shoulder, and it was laughing at her.

She remembered everything from yesterday. Her horrible car wreck, the boys screaming in terror, the water.

 _'_ _Oh, God that awful water creeping up so quickly._ ' she closed her eyes tight and could still smell it. Her skin suddenly felt ice cold.

She remembered the feeling of the rising water reaching her shoulders and how she knew she was going to drown. Of Alex being there and the look of fear in his eyes. His eyes never lied to her, and when she saw he was afraid, she knew she was as good as dead. Perhaps it would have been better if she died.

Then the rescuers came and put that scuba mask on her. The air in it tasting funny and she almost hyperventilated in panic when the car went underwater. As soon as the water took the car under, it felt like she was in free fall. The old Buick sank quickly into the darkness and she was trapped. She hit the bottom of the bay softer than she thought she would. All the sand must have eased the fall. Her rescuers were still there, and she felt hands on her in the darkness. Then, like magic, she was freed. Strong hands were pulling her out of the car and away from death. She broke out of the water and was pulled onto the boat. Her rescuers had made her lie down and started taking her vitals. She could barely keep her eyes open from the brightness of the cloudy day on the surface of the water. The reality of almost dying hit her hard and her rescuers seemed to understand she needed a moment to collect herself. She felt ashamed for sobbing at being rescued. Felt ashamed for not being able to save herself and above all, for allowing that truck to hit her in the first place.

She remembered all the people around the dock watching her being loaded into the ambulance and taken to the hospital. Her sons were given back to her as soon as she was checked out. The boys relived to see her after the accident. All of them together again and she never wanted them to be apart.

Alex came, just like she knew he would. She knew he wouldn't stay away, just like she knew it was hard for him to leave her in that car. She saw the hurt in his eyes when he had been forced to swim out. It was like he was in physical pain. She felt guilt for causing him pain in the first place. She remembered him driving her home and how much she liked riding in his SUV. How she never felt safer in her life than when she was in the car with him.

She remembered how he'd carried her little boy into the house and how that made something inside her wake up. A long sleeping animal stirred in her at the sight of Alex carrying Norman in a way the child's real father never did.

She remembered her own shower after she bathed the boys. How she wanted to wash that smell of the bay off her. How she was still cold even after such a hot shower.

She remembered talking to Alex, how his words were soft and how they tried to comfort her. Then, she couldn't explain what happened next. She was so foolish to ask him to stay with her. She had wanted him to be in her bed. The two of them nestled together like the lovers they most definitely weren't. Alex hadn't made love to her, or even kissed her. He'd agreed to lay next her till she fell asleep. His body radiating heat that kept her warm even as the world outside grew cold again.

She didn't want him to go, and so he stayed without argument. She had fallen asleep quickly. Her body curled up in an almost fetal position next to him.

When she woke up a few hours later, she was alarmed there was a man in her bed. Her mind temporarily forgetting all that happened in that perfect world of sleep. She squinted through the darkness and saw Deputy Romero's features in the weak light that came in from her windows. She had no idea what time it was, but still felt sleepy.

She kept still and watched Alex breathing. He always looked so stoic, even in his sleep. Such a thought made a grin creep over her face.

He must of sensed it, must have not been asleep at all in fact.

"What is it?" he said in the darkness.

"Nothing." she said quickly.

"You have a bad dream?" he asked.

She shook her head.  
"No. I just… I guess I forgot you were still here." she admitted. She blushed at the idea and Alex rolled over. They were both under the covers and it felt delicious to have him so near to her in such an intimate way. A way that could easily turn into something beautiful.

Norma shook her head and crossed her arms over her chest. She wasn't going to fall into that pit again.

But Alex was awake and looking at her.  
"You asked me to stay. Remember?" he said gently. His voice quite now that the rain had finally stopped.

"I know." she admitted. "I'm glad you did."

She wanted to tell him something, but her courage faltered. He was looking at her with those expressive eyes again and she felt her voice grow weak.

"I just… I always feel… safe. When you're around." she said slowly.

Alex looked awkward.

"Well, thank you." he said at last.

"It's not just because of your job." she amended quickly.

She felt him take one of her hands under the covers. His thumb rolling over her fingers in a way that made that forgotten animal inside her wake up again. She could see him through the moonlit window. His eyes focused on her hand, his fingers working hers with ease. She felt her heart beat quicken when it looked like he was bringing her finger tips to his lips. That black bird on her shoulder mocking her on how quickly she could replace a man in her bed.

"I should go check on the boys." she said and pulled away from him.

He let her go, but it was hard to slip out of that warm bed and into the cold air of early dawn.

~ Alex could take a hint. It had been a small taste of heaven to have her curled so neatly next to him. Her bed was comfortable and smelled of clean laundry. She had asked him to stay with her, just until she fell asleep and he had easily complied. She had admitted she missed him and he couldn't deny her anything at that moment.

It had felt a little strange to be in bed with a woman and know there would be no chance of that wild, almost violent sexual release he was used to. That kind of thing was all he really knew when it came to sharing a bed with a woman. And he certainly didn't stay over night with anyone.

This was something new for him to learn and try to understand. It was like tasting something so rare and delicious, you knew you had to eat it slowly or ruin the experience.

If Norma had asked him to bed her, to make love to her until they both were nothing more than bodies covered in sweat, he would have agreed. He wasn't sure why he didn't feel cheated out of that opportunity just now. Perhaps he felt satisfied knowing she was content.

It had been enough to have her body so close to his, to have her sleep next him and to be with her in such a way that didn't involve sex.

He could get sex from anyone, but this was something more than physical.

He waited for her to come back from checking on the boys. He had slept in the same bed with her, yet hadn't even kissed her. He had barely been able to hold her hand before she became spooked and made an excuse to leave their haven.

Alex realized what was happening.

' _I need to go. She was vulnerable and said things she didn't mean. I shouldn't have stayed_.' he thought.

Quickly, he slipped out of her bed and put his shoes on. His watch told him it was five in the morning. How had they been asleep for almost twelve hours? He'd never slept well with someone in the same bed. In fact, he didn't ever remember sleeping so well as he did last night.

Quickly, he escaped down the hall and avoided the boys room. He didn't see Norma in the house at all when he went into the garage where his SUV was.

He couldn't help but feel like a heel for leaving her like this, but he wanted to spare her the awkwardness of her having to ask him to leave. He started the engine and quickly pulled away from her house. The dawn was starting to break over the trees as he drove off of Pine Valley Lane.

~ Norma had checked on the boys who were still asleep. She watched them breathing for awhile and decided that they didn't have a cold or phenomena from their time in the cold water. She checked over Norman's sleeping body for bruises from the crash and didn't find anything. Dylan stirred awake when she checked him for bruises or a fever.

"Mom?" her oldest asked.

"It's okay, honey." she told him. "Go back to sleep. It's Saturday. We've got the day off so you don't have to go to school."

"Our car is in the water." he told her.  
"Yes, but don't worry. We're going to get a new car." she whispered.

"Good." he told her.

Norma leaned in and kissed her son on his forehead. She closed their bedroom door and went back to her own bedroom. Maybe Alex could help her go car shopping today.

 _'_ _I need to file a claim with my insurance_.' she reminded herself. ' _I hope they won't be the assholes Sam's life insurance holders were. I'd hate to have to wait till I'm on social security to get a car.'_

It occurred to her to ask Alex for help with the life insurance policy. He was in law enforcement and surely he must know a good lawyer who could resolve this problem. A million dollars was a lot of money to just sit on until Norman was eighteen. They needed that money now. They needed it months ago.

She opened the door to her bedroom.  
"Alex?" she whispered. "You don't have to work today do you?"

Her bedroom felt oddly quite. She saw in the dim light that her bed was empty. She went out into the kitchen and living room but could feel he wasn't there. A check in the garage proved his SUV was gone.

Norma shut off the light in the garage and went back to bed alone. That black bird on her shoulder was laughing at her the whole time.

~ Alex arrived at work that morning at his normal time. The girl at the front desk looked anxious as usual.

"Deputy, there's someone waiting for you at your desk. An agent from the FBI. She just showed up this morning and demanded to talk to you. Flashed her badge and everything. I told her you weren't in yet and that you had a family emergency yesterday with that car accident." Clarice chattered on from her spot up front.

"Wait, you told people I had a **family** emergency?" Alex stopped her. The news of an FBI agent wasn't what stuck out most to him.

"Yeah, your… your lady friend Norma Bates. The Sheriff said you'd need some time after what happened." the girl explained.

Alex looked back at her in surprise.

The front desk girl was sweet and only slightly over caffeinated. She was easy to make nervous in any situation.

"Clarice, I don't have any ' **Lady Friends** '." he said as sarcastically as he could. Clarice sat back down at her chair and looked properly scolded.

Alex looked around the office and saw people were staring at them. In a lower voice he asked.

"You said the FBI is here?"

Clarice nodded.  
"Yeah, she just pressed her badge to the glass here and demanded to see you. Wouldn't say what it was she wanted, and told me not to bother the Sheriff. She said you'd know what it was about." Clarice said eagerly.

Alex nodded. He stalked past Clarice, past receiving and to the cluster of desks in a large room.

He didn't see this FBI agent right away. To many other cops were suddenly at their desks and all their heads were turned to his desk where a dark haired woman was sitting.

"Is no one out on patrol?" Alex barked to the room in general. A few stood up, but more wanted to watch the show.

He approached his own desk and felt every pair of eyes in the room were on him.  
"Hello, Gorgeous." he said to the tall, slender beauty that sat at his desk. She had already guessed his password into his computer and was searching through his files.

The fabled FBI agent turned around in his chair and smiled with perfect teeth at him.

"Hello, Handsome." she said. "How's the only man I've ever loved?"

"I was doing fine till I came into work." he admitted looking around at the people still staring.

"You really need to update your software. I hacked into your terminal in like five seconds."

Alex should have been annoyed by the intrusion, but he could never stay mad at Charlotte Evans.

"How is the FBI treating you, Chuck?" he said with a smile.

"Better than White Pine Bay is treating you." she said mockingly. "I heard about your little adventure in the bay as soon as I came into town."

"Yeah. Gossip." he admitted sourly.

"Well, are you gonna take me out to breakfast, or am I gonna have to arrest you in front of all your friends?" she asked.

Alex pretended to be amused.

"Sounds kinda kinky. I think that's exactly how all my letters to playboy start out." he said.

Charlotte smiled her perfect smile again.

"You still subscribe to Playboy? You poor thing! I thought you would have moved on to internet porn by now." she teased him.

"Nothing wrong with the classics." he said defensively.

"Well let's go, Deputy. I have a lot of questions for you." she said in a loud voice so everyone could hear.

Charlotte looked rather menacing as they walked out of the station together. Alex could feel the air grow heavy with the gossip people were dying to start when they left.


	26. Chapter 26

26.

Charlotte Evans made a face of disgust when she looked him over. They had just ordered breakfast at the local pancake house and he couldn't remember ever being so at ease with another person.

"What?" Alex laughed.

"I don't like your hair like that." she said.  
"What's wrong with it?" he asked.

"It's too short, you have a funny looking head. That's why you need to grow your hair out." she told him.  
"I grow it out." he insisted.  
"Oh, you do not. You get a hair cut maybe three times a year and have them cut it too short so you won't have to come back before three or four months." she accused.

"That's how it's done with men." Alex told her.

"That's how it's done with cheap men." Charlotte snapped.

Alex shrugged.

"I don't have any complaints." he told her.

"So I heard." Charlotte purred and Alex could feel she knew something and was going to make him suffer.

He looked up to see her big perfect smile.  
"I never noticed how much you resemble a shark. It's like I'm having breakfast with Jaws." he said spitefully.

"That may be the nicest thing you've ever said to me." she said.

"Charlotte, you didn't come all the way up here to trade insults with the only man you've ever loved just because. Tell me what's up." he nodded.

"You **are** the only man I've ever loved, Alex and you need to understand what a compliment that is." she said sincerely. "But first, I need to know about Wifey."

The shark grin was back

"Wifey? Who told you I got married?" he asked.

Charlotte fished in her large purse and pulled free the local paper. Alex felt his face flush at the picture of him on the front page. He was in the bay with Norma's half submerged Buick next to him. Someone from he paper must have been taking pictures of the whole rescue.

"They really did a beautiful piece on you rescuing that woman and her kids from a sinking car. Color photos and everything." she said in a catty voice.

Alex looked over the pictures and saw his name was prominently featured.

"You look fat though." Charlotte added.

Alex chuckled at her gentle cruelty.

"It's just a part of my job." Alex explained. "Helping people. She was in an accident."

"Yeah, I got the story from the paper as well as the story the paper didn't print." she added. She turned her head in a knowing way.  
"I don't know what you mean." Alex said with a shrug.

Their food had arrived and Alex tried to look casual.

"Oh that's how you want to play it, Handsome? You wanna play dumb?" she asked. Her shark smile back in full force.

"I thought that's how you like your men." he said. "You like them nice and stupid."

"That's exactly how I like my men." she snapped happily. "You're not that dumb though."

"That's why you and I couldn't make it work." he agreed sadly.

"Well, that and other things." she laughed. "What about the story of you saving this same woman from almost being killed by an abusive husband? You were just at the right place at the right time? In the middle of a storm no less. Rumor is that you saved a helpless baby and looked heroic as fuck doing it."

"Starting to regret turning me down, huh?" Alex asked. "You could have been with all this."

Charlotte looked annoyed and slightly nauseous.  
"Tell me about Wifey, Alex." she snapped. "Everyone in town is talking about it."

Alex ate a bit of his pancakes and took him time answering her. He always liked annoying Charlotte.  
"Well, I didn't get married." he told her at last.

"Yeah cuz if you got married and didn't tell me, I would literally, not figuratively, I would literally kill you." Charlotte snapped.

Alex grinned.  
"Her name is Norma." he said carefully.

Charlotte smiled from sheer happiness.

"She moved here a few months ago and has two young boys. Dylan and Norman. They're six and three." he explained.

"Quite a departure from the ladies you normally see. I'm impressed." Charlotte said. "Go on."

Alex shrugged.  
"I've just been spending time with her. That's all." he explained.

He looked back at Charlotte and remembered how easy it was to talk to her.  
"I can't explain it. It's like I've been pulled into her gravity, you know? Like I can't stay away." he said.

Charlotte was still listening. She was always a good listener.

"I don't want to stay away." he admitted.

Charlotte bit her lip to hide a grin.  
"What's she like?" she asked.

Alex shook his head and could feel his face flushing. He felt like he was describing a crush on a girl in home room.  
"It's hard to describe how she is. She's… she's beautiful. Has these amazing eyes and her face… is just." he stammered. "She has this energy about everything she does and at the same time she's like a bulldog. She won't give up, she just keeps attacking. She likes to argue wth me for no reason, all the time and about the strangest things. Sometimes, she shines so brightly I can't look away. It feels like I'm in the sun when I'm around her."

"My, God, Alex!" Charlotte spat. That disgusted look was back on her face. "You just compared a woman to the freaking sun!"

Alex realized what she meant and felt slightly dizzy.  
"Oh, you poor baby you've fallen hard!" she whispered in sympathy.  
"I wouldn't go that far, but I spent the night in the same bed with her last night." Alex confessed.

Charlotte's eyes went wide.  
"Naughty boy!" she said with her shark grin back in place.  
"No, it wasn't like that. At all." he said quickly. "She had just got home from the hospital after the wreck. We put the boys to bed and she asked me to stay with her. We didn't even kiss."

Charlotte looked outraged.

"Wait, you **just** slept in the same bed?" she breathed.

"Well, we talked for a little while. She was tired. But yeah." he admitted.

"Did you two have any meaningful conversations? Like about private stuff? Stuff you've never talked about to anyone except to me?" Charlotte asked.

Alex looked down at his breakfast. What was it about Charlotte? She could always make him confess to everything.

"Oh, Alex?" Charlotte gasped. "You did!"

"We were out with her son on the boat fishing." he explained.  
"You took her son fishing?" she gasped.

"Yeah, twice." Alex said quickly. "But we had a long talk about our childhoods. She had it rough with her parents. They were neglectful. I talked about…."

He felt his throat close up.  
"Alex." Charlotte breathed. "Did you tell her about your mom? Everything about your mom?"

Alex felt his eyes water and he looked away.  
"You never talk about your mom." Charlotte said sadly. "You only told me after we'd been drinking all night."

Alex grinned.

"Yeah. New Orleans on Fat Tuesday. I asked you to flash me and you did." he reminded her.

"And they were the nicest tits you've ever seen or will see again." Charlotte added.

"Probably." he admitted.

"My, God, Alex." Charlotte sighed. "You love her?"

"I… no I don't love her." he said.

"Don't lie to me. Why are you lying to me?" Charlotte said. Her feelings clearly hurt.

Alex looked down at his breakfast and started eating again.

"You know you've always taken yourself so seriously. When I first met you in bootcamp you were so uptight I'd thought you'd break in half." she told him.

"I've always been this way." he reminded her.  
"Not with me. Not after what happened in Japan." she said. "You know you could always tell me anything. I love you and I want what's best for you. Do you love this woman?"

"It's not that easy, there are children involved." he argued. "Young children."

"Young children without a father who you've either taken fishing or have rescued while looking really sexy." Charlotte said.

Alex glared at her.

"The girl in the coffee shop is the sister of one of the paramedics who saw the whole thing. Apparently, half the ladies in town are dehydrated after learning you're so awesome at saving young children." she said quickly.

"Dehydrated?" Alex questioned.

"It's a lady thing." Charlotte said with an amused smile. "Trust me, it's good."

"Well, since we're talking about our love life, how is the other woman?" he asked.

Charlotte looked sad for a moment.  
"Genesis is good." she admitted. "She teaches yoga and vegan cooking."

"Is that why you ordered all that bacon? You're cheating on your wife with pork?" Alex asked.

"At least I don't want sausage, Alex. Not even yours." Charlotte snapped.

Alex had just drank some coffee and had to fight hard not to spit it out.

"Well, that was your loss." he reminded her.  
"I'll live." she said. "Not all problems can be fixed with a penis."

"So how long have you and Genesis been together now? Four years? I got a little drunk at the wedding."

"I know, you were so sad to lose me forever."

"You two looked really hot though. You never did send me that honeymoon video like I asked."

"You know we kept it private. The FBI really doesn't like it's homosexual agents to be out." Charlotte admitted.  
"Not ones that look like you." Alex pointed out.  
"I am pretty fucking hot." Charlotte agreed. "No, the real reason I came here was to ask you something. It's important."

"Oh, God." Alex said and leaned back in his seat. "Charlotte, look I love you like a sister but I'm not interested in donating… anything so you and your wife could have a baby."

Charlotte's face turned to stone and her eye twitched.

"Not what I was about to ask, **Alex**." she snapped.

"Okay." Alex breathed. "Good."

"But you now that you mentioned it, you have impressive genes that deserve to be passed down." she said looking him over like she meant to buy him.

"Charlotte." Alex said.

"I mean, your eyelashes... my everything else." she mused. "God, we'd make beautiful babies! Alex! Take me right now! Right on this sticky table in front of everyone! Lets do this!" she said a little too loudly.

"Stop it." Alex said quickly. All teasing aside, people he knew were within earshot.

"What I was about to tell you was that a position has become available in my department and I thought of you." she told him calmly.

"You investigate crimes with international victims." Alex said.

"Sex trafficking, underground sweat shops. Most of these victims are coming in from overseas. They think they're getting jobs as maids, when they get here, they're sold into slavery." she explained.

Alex felt Charlotte's work was far too dark for him.

"Sounds awful." he told her frankly.

"It can be." she admitted. "But it's rewarding at times. We had one of my team members reassign and I was talking you up to replace him."

"What made you think of me?" Alex asked.

"I trust you. I always have, ever since Japan." she explained. "You've have a perfect record here in this crappy town and word is you'll be Sheriff in a few years."

Alex felt uncomfortable.

"Look I know it's a lot to think about, but you have the right constitution for this work. It takes more than some cowardly pimp abusing girls to break you. I know you're not afraid to look bad things in the eye." she told him.

"Things are going fine here." Alex said.

"You mean the drug business is bombing, but it's still manageable." Charlotte snapped.

Alex looked at her in annoyance.

"I'm FBI, Alex. I know these things." she told him.

"What would this involve?" he asked.

"You'd go to the ranch for training. You'll ace it, I'm sure." she told him. "Then you, Wifey and the boys would move to San Fransisco and work with me there. You'd travel some, but the hours are flexible."

Alex couldn't help but love her bluntness.

"Something to think about." he admitted.

"You'd be helping a lot of young women and girls who have no one to defend them. I know how much you love to be a white knight." she said.  
"I'm not a white knight." he argued.

"You practically glow in the dark you're armor is so shiny." Charlotte said quickly.

Alex stayed quiet.

"Look, you can stay here and be a big fish in a small pond. You can try to fix your home town until it breaks you. Or, you can come over to my side and make a real difference. Think how proud your mom would be to have you be an FBI agent. Think how much it would piss your dad off to know you're working for the government." she added.

Alex smiled.

"How long will you be in town?" he asked.

"A few days." she said. "My team is investigating a lead in the area, so I'll be around."

She pulled out her card and gave it to him.  
"Got a cell phone and everything. Another perk of being FBI." she told him.*

Alex looked over her card.  
"I'd love to meet Wifey." Charlotte asked.  
"Well, I would have loved to have a romantic evening with you and your wife, but I don't see that happening." Alex said sarcastically.  
"It's a shame to." Charlotte told him. "My girl is so generous. I don't think I can keep her satisfied. If only there was some obvious solution-"

"Now you're just being mean." Alex told her.  
"If only I knew someone who would be willing appease two women at once." Charlotte went on in a dreamy voice.  
"Stop." Alex ordered. "People like to talk in this town."

He looked around and wasn't surprised to see familiar faces watching them curiously.

"Ugh. I don't know how you stand it here." Charlotte said in disgust.

"You get used to it." Alex told her.

"But you are going to have me meet Norma right? I promise I'll behave." Charlotte said. Her shark grin back in full force.

 _ *** This story is taking place back in 1998. Not everyone would have had a cell phone.**_

 **I modeled Charlotte after Gale Gadot. AKA Wonder Woman.**

 **I really like the idea that Alex had a friend like Charlotte that could come to his rescue. Especially after the way season 4 ended with him getting arrested and not being able to prove Norman killed his mother. I'd like to think Charlotte could swoop in and prove that Norman did it, have him committed to a nasty state mental hospital and medicated so much he would never see "Mother" again.**

 **It would also be no problem for her to get Alex out of trouble.**

 **I had this idea that Charlotte would then visit Norman in the hospital and would be really cruel to him telling him that Norma was re-burried under the name Norma Romero. She would say something like: "It's like she's always been with Alex now. It's like she never belonged to you at all." **

**That, more than anything else in the world would, hurt Norman Bates. So no more hatin' on Charlotte. She's one of the good guys. She's not Rebecca and more chapters will prove it. But wait till Norma sees Alex's friend. ;)**

 **We all need a friend like Charlotte and I based the relationship on one of my guy friends who I think of as a brother. We both survived a similar childhood and have a great bond that just feels like family. I got his back and he's got mine.**


	27. Chapter 27

27.

~ "My father bought this car for my mother back in 1973." Sybil said. "He got a great deal on it because it sat on the lot for over a year.

Norma looked over the well cared for Mercedes-Benz that sat so unassuming in Sybil's garage.

"She drove it around town till she passed away in 1992. After I heard what happened, I had my mechanic check all the fluids and tires. Drove it around to shake the dust off the old girl." Sybil explained. "She's a good car for a woman to drive. Very classy and easy to handle."

"I can't take your car, Sybil." Norma breathed.

"It's not my car. It was my mother's car and no one dives her anymore. It's a shame to keep the old girl locked up when she's meant to go dancing."

"It's a Mercedes. I can't just take it."

"Well, I can't keep picking you up for work either. You're gonna make me miss ladies night down at the bar at this rate. You need to get back on the horse and drive again. When you get your insurance money, we can talk about you buying the old girl from me if you want to keep her. Until then, she's just a loner." Sybil said curtly.

She gave Norma the keys to the pale green colored classic. Norma could feel a rush of pleasure at being able to drive such a beauty. The car was so vintage she would have to use two separate keys, one to open and one to start it. There was even a white rabbit's foot key chain to keep them together.  
"That's my idea." Sybil told her. "You need all the luck you can get."

Norma rolled her eyes.

"Although." Sybil said lazily. "Word around town is that you've been a very lucky girl already."

"Wait, how have I been lucky?" Norma asked.  
"The way Alex and all those rescue workers got you and boys out of the bay? If he hadn't been so close, if he hadn't told the rescue workers to bring the underwater welding and scuba gear, I'd hate to think what would have happened." Sybil told her. "That's my Little Bear."

Norma was about to tell Sybil exactly what she thought of her 'Little Bear'. She didn't enjoy feeling abandoned that morning by Alex. When she'd found her bed was empty and Romero's SUV gone, she had felt that horrible black bird perch right back on her shoulder. It's talons gripping so hard into her skin, she felt it draw blood.  
 _'Alex doesn't want you trying to seduce him, dummy. What would a man like him want with a woman like you? You've got two kids, you're just a cook in a small town, you rent a house and don't even own your own furniture. You have nothing to offer a man like him and he's not interested in you. You had to embarrass yourself, didn't you? You had to beg him to stay in the same bed as you. He only did it because he felt sorry for you. You just made a spectacle of yourself, dummy. That's all you did. He's laughing at you, you know. Poor, pathetic Norma. She needs everyone's help her. She can't do anything right. That's you, dummy. He would never want you. He can do better than you. If you thought he was being kind to you, it was just because it's a part of his job. He's probably going home to a pretty girlfriend who's young and educated. Who doesn't have two kids and who didn't grow up to be trash. Not like you, you're just trash. Always have been, always will be.'_

Norma had cried when she climbed back into bed. She didn't know why she listened to that horrible bird on her shoulder. Why she let it hurt her. Why she let that pain envelope her till it seemed to cradle her like she was a child.

~ The 'Old Girl' drove beautifully. Norma wanted to buy this car from Sybil if they ever agreed on a price. Then again, what kind of welfare mom would drive a vintage Mercedes? She sank back in the seat and felt angry at herself again. For just a moment, when she was cruising around town in such a nice car, she felt happy. It was easy to imagine herself as someone else in this car. Maybe Sybil's own mother when her husband had bought it for her off the lot.

' _Wow, what an amazing gift for a husband to give his wife._ ' Norma thought. ' _Happy Anniversary, my darling bride. Here's a beautiful new car. A want you to have a nice car and I want you to look pretty when you drive it. I want my wife to always have nice things_.'

Norma laughed at the silliness of it. Sybil's parents no doubt belonged to a long forgotten generation. Back when men felt it was their honor to provide for their family, not their burden. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like to have been married to a man like that. Someone who wasn't just a provider, but a partner and protector in life. She couldn't picture herself kissing such a man goodbye in the morning when he went off to work. Keeping herself occupied with chores and children all day at home. Being happy to see this fabled husband when he came home for dinner. Watching 'I love Lucy' on TV with the little ones till it was bed time.

Those men, the ones who paid the bills on time and saved enough for retirement. Who made sure the wife and children were well cared for. Those men were all gone.

She felt sad at this idea. The idea that there were no more white knights in this world.

~ Norma had to go to the grocery store and that meant keeping the boys in line, which was nearly impossible. She was glad that she slept so well, in bed with Alex ironically, because she was rewarded with a lot of energy for the day. After Sybil had picked her up and gave her the keys to the 'old girl' she hauled the boys to the store, It was never fun to go shopping with small children. Dylan always wanted something and Norman was unusually fussy since the accident. Her youngest had been blinking a lot under the florescent lights.

Dylan had been obnoxious in the store as usual. He demanded the sugar cereal and wanted a toy and candy. He still hadn't settled down when she was loading her groceries in the trunk of the old girl.

"Mom the trunk is so big!" Dylan shouted. "Why is the trunk so big?"

"A long time ago, when people had a lot more kids, they would put the extra bad ones in the trunk for the ride home." Norma said breezily.

Dylan looked mildly worried.

"Come on, honey!" she said happily. "Get in next to your brother in the back seat."

She didn't know why it was so fun to lie to children sometimes. But her oldest behaved himself for at least a little while.

~ "Deputy Romero!" Dylan cried out happily and tapped on the glass of his window. Norma had pulled the old girl to a stop light and jumped when she heard Dylan call out for Alex. She looked back at her son, saw where he was pointing and looked out her own window.

She saw Alex right away. His normally angry demeanor was washed away and replaced with a smile that changed his entire face for the better. Even his body language was different. The tension in the shoulders was gone. The demand for personal space from people on the street had vanished. Expect for the uniform and leather jacket he always wore, she wouldn't have recognized him.  
"Who's that lady?" Dylan asked.

Norma saw her and felt her stomach clench and her breathing speed up.

Whoever she was, she was beautiful. Her hair was long, well styled and she wore nice clothes that complimented her tall, slender frame.

She and Alex were smiling at each other like it was their wedding day. The woman was grinning at him with teeth that were so prefect and white, she could have been a model for a toothpaste commercial.

Norma felt sick at what she saw then. Alex was wrapping his arm around her waist and this woman had her arm around his waist. She seemed perfectly comfortable touching him to. The way her hand slipped around his back and under his jacket.

Norma watched them cross the street together like the happiest couple in the world. She was still waiting for her light turn green and could only watch them walk in front of her on the crosswalk. She was helpless to say anything. She could only clutch the steering wheel tighter and try to remember to breathe. Alex didn't recognize the car. Had never her seen her driving the 'old girl'. Probably didn't even recognize it at all. *

She watched the happy couple reach the other side of the street. They were talking and laughing together. She couldn't take her eyes off them. They looked so beautiful together. Like they had been made for one another. The way the woman's hair shone, her expensive shoulder bag that looked like a stylish briefcase. She must be a lawyer to dress like that.

Of course thats the kind of woman Alex should be with. That's the kind of woman he deserved.

The black bird was back and it was trying to peck her eyes out. All she could see was red.  
"Mom?" Dylan asked worriedly. "Mom, are you okay?"

Norma looked back at the light and saw it change to green. She glanced back at Alex with his perfect match and saw them hugging. His hands going low to her back side, pushing her hips into his.

Norma felt sick and looked away again. She took her foot off the break and the old girl rolled faithfully ahead. Never looking back.

"I'm fine, honey." she told Dylan sadly. "I'm fine."

~ Alex noticed the classic Mercedes driving past them and out of the downtown area. For a wild moment, he thought it was Sybil's mother. He hadn't seen the classic car since the old woman died a few years ago. He'd been a young teenager at the time, and the elder Mrs. Lawson had been a staple in White Pine Bay, just as her daughter Sybil was now. Miri Lawson had been a teacher, nurse, librarian and even organized all the charity drives around the area. Alex remembered during a terrible storm how his father had rounded him and his mother up to take them to town hall. The family riding out the storm in the basement with the rest of their friends and neighbors. How it had been Miri Lawson who'd always seemed to run the show. Making sure everything was prepared and organized. Making sure everyone was safe. She had to have been in her eighties by then, but she was unstoppable.

Even the Old Bear of White Pine Bay admired the elder Mrs. Lawson, and it had been a sad day for everyone when she died.

Alex nodded to the Mercedes and Charlotte looked around to see.

"I haven't seen that car in a while." he said.

"What's wrong?" Charlotte asked.

"It's fine. Just belonged to this lady I used to know. Everyone in town knew her by that car. It was the nicest one in town when it was new." he said.

"Oh yeah?" Charlotte asked with a smile.

Alex felt her arm take his and her head lean on his shoulder.

"Different place back then." he admitted.

"Alex?" came a sinister voice from behind.

Romero turned with Charlotte still linked in his arm to see Rebecca's angry face coming towards them. She was glaring at his friend with contempt before her eyes fixed on him.  
"Hello. I don't think we've met." Rebecca said to Charlotte.

"I'm Charlotte. Alex and I…" Charlotte said with her cool confidence. "Well, we go way back."

"Oh, is that right?" Rebecca said with her fake smile. She was holding a cup of coffee in a Styrofoam cup and Alex hoped she wouldn't be dumb enough to throw it at a federal agent. It would ruin Rebecca's whole day to be arrested for assault.

"Yeah." Charlotte said with an equally catty snarl. "I'm sorry I didn't catch your name?"

"I'm Alex's girlfriend." Rebecca said.

"Wait? You're Norma Bates?" Charlotte asked in shock and Alex shook his head.

"No. No." he said quietly to his friend.

"Who?" Rebecca asked. Her words were like poison.

"Oh, I didn't say anything." Charlotte said quickly and flashed her shark smile again.

"Oh, you didn't?" Rebecca said scathingly. "Why are you groping him like that?"

"Because I can." Charlotte said with a shrug.  
"Rebecca, you need to relax." Alex said quickly stepping between the two of them. They were on the street corner and the last thing Alex wanted was a scene.

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say to Rebecca.

"Well, you know he spends most of his nights with me don't you? He's never mentioned you at all. Isn't that interesting?" Rebecca asked.

To Alex's horror, Rebecca stepped a little too close to Charlotte for his comfort.

 _'_ _Please don't let Chuck beat the hell out of her._ ' he prayed silently.

"Rebecca?" Charlotte said lazily. "Do you know who I **really** am?"

Rebecca looked back at her sheer disgust. Alex was sure Chuck would flash her badge and that would be it. But Chuck never stopped surprising him.

"Because I can take a guess at what you are, and girlfriend isn't it. Me? I'm the bitch that all the other bitches are afraid to bitch about. I'm the bad ass sister who would make the other kids afraid to play with him. I'm the only woman in his life that he listens to and trusts completely and I'm the one who can make you go away very quickly. So watch yourself, **Bitch**." Charlotte said with a tone like ice.

"I think we should stop seeing each other, Rebecca." Alex said casually. He felt the tightness in his stomach ease when he saw his ex's horrified face.

"Have a good one." Charlotte said with a shrug and her shark grin.

Alex was a little worried when Rebecca stormed past them. Her face looking ready to kill someone from the total humiliation she just suffered.

"Thanks for that, Chuck." Alex said sarcastically. "But I could have handled it."

"That woman was a stone cold bitch and you know it." Charlotte said. "I did you a favor. What were you doing messing around with her anyway?"

"Hey, I never judged you on the women you fooled around with." he said quickly.

"True." Charlotte said lazily. "Alex, I **do** want to meet this Norma person. If you care for her, then I'm sure I'll love her."

Alex felt uncomfortable.

"I just want you to be happy. More than anything, I want you to be happy." Charlotte said. "I just have this horrible feeling that if you stay in this place, in this town, it's going to burn you. It's going to destroy you and make you into something you don't want to be."

"So you think moving to San Fransisco and working for the FBI will save my soul?" he asked.

They were walking down the sidewalk again.

"Yes. I do." she told him. "Don't forget to bring Wifey and the kids when you move." she added.

 ***Hope you noticed the reference to the original "Psycho" movie. When Marion Crane pulled up to a red light her boss and and the man she stole money from walk across the street right in front of her. Yet, they don't seem to notice or recognize her.**

 **I also wanted to know what we think of the Black Bird on her shoulder analogy. It's meant to represent depression and anxiety in Norma. Something I think a lot of us deal with. That maybe the reason she's so tense in "Bates Motel" is because she's dealt with depression and Anxiety for a while.**

 **Also, see? Charlotte is a bad ass who's gonna kick bitches ass if they mess with her friend/brother. She doesn't want to get with Alex, she just wants him to be happy.**

 **NOBODY WORRY. THERE WILL BE A HORRIBLE AMOUNT OF LOVEY, CUTENESS, STUTTERING SPEECH AND GENERAL NORMERO IN THE NEXT CHAPTER. I HAVE TO BUILD TO IT. I HAVE TO MAKE IT APPRECIATE.**


	28. Chapter 28

28.

~ Norma felt like she was having a panic attack when she pulled into her garage.

"Mom?" Dylan asked. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, honey." she lied. Her voice was shaking slightly and her lower lip was trembling. "I'm okay."

"Who was that pretty lady with Deputy Romero?" he asked.

"She's his friend, I think." Norma said and brushed the tears away from her face. She practiced a big smile in the rearview mirror before getting out of the car.

She opened the back seat to retrieve Norman, he was perfectly still in his new car seat she'd also picked up in town. Her youngest seemed in a trance she'd never seen before.  
"Norman?" she said and shook the little boy slightly.

His mouth was open and his eyes were glazed over.

"Norman!" his mother shouted. She felt that horrible helpless fear all parents experience when they don't know whats wrong with their child.

"Mom! What's wrong?" Dylan cried.

Like he'd just been asleep, little Norman closed his eyes and opened them again. His face returning to normal and his eyes focused on her.

"Hello." Norman said sleepily.

"Were you just sleeping?" Norma asked trying to hold back tears. She felt relief it wasn't something more serious. When did he start sleeping with his eyes open? That wasn't normal.

"Hello." Norman said again in his sweet voice.

"He's okay, Dylan. He was just asleep." Norma sighed. Her head was starting to hurt. Too much had happened in the past few days an it was catching up with her.

"Mom, don't be sad." Dylan said.

"I'm not sad." Norma told him gently. But her voice was shaking and she could feel another wave of crying wanting to pull her under.

"Don't be sad." Dylan whimpered.

"I'm not sad." she told him again.

"My mommy is pretty. My mommy is nice. My mommy is good." Dylan said softly.

She felt a tightness in her heart loosen and she smiled at her oldest. A real smile this time and not one that she had to practice in the mirror.

"Thank you, honey." she whispered.

~ Dylan wasn't the type of child to call her mommy and she was touched by him calling her that now. She had never been close to her oldest like she should have been. He'd always been the problem in her life. Something from her past she couldn't escape. A scar that ran so deep it would never heal.

Since they came to White Pine Bay, since Sam was gone, it felt like her oldest child had blossomed. That he might grow into a fine young man one day. Norma realized for the first time ever that she loved him. That she loved him so much it would hurt her to ever lose him or lose his good opinion of her.

She watched the boys playing in the living room when her kitchen phone rang. She knew it would be Alex and she didn't want to talk to him. Why was he calling her with his overly attractive girlfriend around?

Maybe it was habit or self loathing, but she answered the phone on the second ring.

"Norma." came the Deputy's voice when she picked up the receiver but didn't say hello.

"Yeah." she sighed lazily. He sounded like he was in a good mood and she didn't want to hear it.

"Hey, listen. I was wondering if you were busy tonight. I know it's short notice but I've got a buddy of mine in town and I thought we could all go out to dinner." he said.

Norma rolled her eyes so hard her head actually moved was well.

"Your buddy?" she snapped.  
"Yeah. Chuck and I met in the Marines. You and the boys need a night out. I can pick you up." he said.

"Right. Right. Because my car is still in the bay." she said sarcastically.

"Yeah. I forgot about that this morning." he said apologetically. "You were trapped at home all day."

His voice sounded remorseful, but she wasn't buying it.

"I was fine." she said cooly.  
"Look, I'm sorry." he said in a low voice. She sensed someone else might be in the same room with him now and he didn't want to be overheard. "It's just… I wasn't sure if you wanted me to stay after… we… woke up."

"It's fine." she sighed. "I feel bad that I asked you to stay at all. It went way beyond your job description."

"Norma." he said.

"Look, I was emotional and I feel really embarrassed about it." she said. "Can we not talk about it anymore?"

He was silent on the other end of the line for a moment.

"Okay." he said in that soft voice that pissed her off at that moment. "We still need to go car shopping soon, right?"

"No. I don't think that's a good idea." she told him.

She could feel the heaviness in the air even though they weren't even in the same room.

"So this is the part where we don't talk to each other for a few months?" he accused at last. "Because I don't like that part."

Norma let out a long sigh. She felt a deep bubble of frustration rise up inside her. There were so many things she wanted to say to him, but couldn't. She couldn't say them because she was sure now that he wouldn't say them back.

"Why do you always have to aggravate me?" she asked quickly. "It's like it's you super power or something."

"What did I do now?" he asked. His voice sharp and defensive at her accusation. "I thought…"

She could hear the things he left unsaid on the other line.  
"Alright, forget dinner." he said stoically.

"Alex. Don't be mad at me." she sighed.  
"I'm not."

"Yes, you are. It's like you're always mad at me."

"Maybe because you're always ready to fight with me." he said

"I am not!" she argued.

"Well… I… I stand corrected." he told her quickly.

Norma felt her jaw clench. She could just picture him on the other end of the phone. She could see his face now. The way it always looked when he felt mildly annoyed with her.

"I…" Norma looked to the boys in the living room. "I think the boys and I are just going to stay at home for the rest of the day."

He was quite for a moment.

"Okay." he said at last.

"But don't be mad." she said quickly.  
"Honestly? I've tried my best to stay mad at you." he told her. "I won't stick."

She felt that familiar warmth rush over her heart at that. A childish glee to know that he couldn't stay mad at her.

"If you want… maybe I could come by tonight. Just to check on you." he offered. His voice was low and Norma felt her blood become slightly electric. Her skin prickled with warmth that made her face flush.

"Alex." she said.

He waited for her to go on.

"Um, I don't think that's a good idea."

"It's not?"

"No. It's not. I… I didn't know, when you stayed over, I didn't know you were seeing someone. I don't want to be that kind of woman." she said.

"Wait. Who told you I was seeing someone?" he asked harshly. His voice demanding like the police officer he was.

"I saw you together today." Norma told him simply. "The two of you were walking downtown and I saw everything. You two looked very happy and I don't want to get in the middle of that."

"Norma." Alex said calmly. "That was my friend from when I was in the Marines. Her name is Charlotte Evans and she's with the FBI. We're old friends. Friends. Nothing more."

Norma didn't believe him. Of course he was lying about his overly attractive 'friend' who put her hands all over him.

Alex seemed to sense her doubt over the phone line.

"She's the one I wanted you and the boys to met tonight. She like a sister to me." he insisted.

"You two looked…" Norma started to say.  
"Yeah, I can see how it must have looked. Trust me, Chuck isn't interested in me. I think her wife would have something to say about it if she was." he said.

Now she knew he was lying.

"Oh, okay. So why did you want me to meet her?" Norma asked.  
"She wants to meet you actually."  
"Why?"

"I guess she thinks you're important to me." Alex admitted with some difficulty.

Norma was quite for a long time. The Black Bird on her shoulder leaned in close and listened to what was said next.

"Am I important to you?" she asked softly.

She heard him let out a long sigh. Her heart was beating so loud, surely he must have heard it.  
"Chuck… I mean…. you know… she's never wrong about these things." he said at last. "She knows me better than anyone. If she thinks… that…"

Norma felt tears sting her eyes. She wanted him here with her now. Wanted him in the room with her so she could see him trying to explain himself. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to have him pull her close and kiss her back. She wanted him to whisper that he cared in her ear and make all the bad things go away. To spin that magic of his that kept her feeling safe and cared for.

"Why don't you and Charlotte come here?" she offered at last. She wiped her eyes dry.

"Are you sure?" he asked skeptically.

"Yeah. I want to meet your friend who knows you better than anyone. I have a lot of questions for her." she teased.

"I don't know if I like the sound of that." Alex said with a chuckle.

"I'll make us all something nice. I have a pot roast that will be perfect." she said quickly.  
"It's not too much trouble?"

"It's more trouble to have two little boys in a nice restaurant. Trust me." Norma said with a laugh.

"Alright."

"Around seven?"  
"Perfect." he said. "Norma?"

"Yes?"

She knew he was still on the line because she could hear him breathing, but he didn't say anything at first.  
"You are." he said at last with some difficulty. "Important to me."

The Black Bird on her shoulder melted away. She could feel the weight of that awful bird lift right off her body. Norma felt herself relax while at the same time, her heart sped up. She couldn't think of anything to say to this. She couldn't find the right words for something that she knew was so monumental in their little world.  
"So… so are you." she said and cleared her throat. "To me. Um…important."

"Okay. So, um, yeah… see you at seven?" he asked awkwardly.

"Yeah. Yeah. That will be fine." she said quickly and hung up.

~ Charlotte Evans looked liked she belonged in movies and not in the FBI. She was tall, athletic and beautifully built. She could easily be cast as Wonder Woman with her shiny black hair and intelligent eyes. All that before she unleashed a dazzling smile and witty banner at dinner.

At first, Norma felt frumpish next to the goddess. Charlotte's clothes were amazing and clearly specially made for her. Norma had always judged people on their clothes. What they did for a living, if they had money, if they were even decent people. All of that could be determined from what they wore. Next to Charlotte, Norma felt she was dressed like someone's grandmother in her simple A line skirt and wine colored blouse.

Intimidating as Charlotte might be, it was soon clear Alex's friend had no intention of one upping anyone. Almost immediately she greeted Norma with a hug and praised her for her home and how handsome the boys were. She wanted to know everything about her hostess and asked friendly, easy questions that Norma liked to answer. She especially wanted to know how Norma had gotten her figure back after her second child if she was cooking meals like this all the time.

By the time dinner was finished, Norma felt pleased with everything about herself. If someone like this woman could admire her, maybe she wasn't as bad as she sometimes thought.

Norma caught Alex's glances a few times during dinner, but he was always quick to look away and stay quite.

"So, Alex and I were always paired up in training courses." Charlotte told Norma while they were seated around the kitchen table. A third bottle of wine sat empty on the table after their meal was eaten. Most of the liquor was consumed at a rapid pace by Charlotte. Alex and Norma making do with just one or two glasses each.

Alex's friend had wisely brought presents of toys for the boys and as soon as dinner was done, Dylan and Norman were in their room, deeply engaged in a dinosaur battle. Leaving the adults alone to talk.

"I didn't make friends easy in the Marines." Alex explained.  
"He really didn't." Charlotte agreed. "He took himself too seriously. So I always got stuck with him."

Charlotte had become a little drunk by the end of the meal and had become too honest.

"So what is it you do in the FBI?" Norma asked. She wasn't used to a woman being a professional like this. "It must be interesting."

"It's not as glamorous as the movies make it look." Charlotte told her. "You travel some, but mostly to someone else's jurisdiction. Then you have to have a pissing contest about who's in charge. The 'good o' boys' system isn't fun."

"Chuck is very good at what she does." Alex offered.  
"Well, not as good as you." Charlotte said with her big smile. "All anyone in town is talking about is him saving you and the boys from that awful accident."

Norma felt her face flush. She already had too much wine that evening and mentioning the accident made the room spin.  
"Chuck." Alex said darkly.  
"I only bring it up because it's not easy to survive something like that." Charlotte said. "It makes you reevaluate your priorities. Makes you look at what's important in life. I mean, at any second, we could be gone. We're never promised tomorrow. I'd hate to think I'd missed out on something wonderful because I was afraid."  
"Chuck." Alex said again.

"I mean, I could still be in the closet. It would have spared me a lot of grief from people who I don't give a shit about. But then, I never would have met my wife. If I hadn't put my heart on the line and took that plunge, I would have lost something wonderful." Charlotte went on. She took a long drink from her wine glass and Norma looked over at Alex.

The Deputy was avoiding her. It was obvious his old friend was drunk.

"I just want you to be happy." Charlotte said and looked sadly at Alex. "Idiot."

She tried to slap his face, but missed and almost fell out of her chair. Alex was quick to catch her before she hit the floor.

"I think that's our limit." he said and lifted Charlotte in his arms with such a graceful ease, Norma felt her pulse speed up.

"Let's get her on the couch." Norma said quickly.

"No! Idiot!" Charlotte laughed and let Alex carry her to the living room.  
"Chuck, you need to lay down for a little while." Alex said.

He easily laid the goddess on the comfortable couch while Norma retrieved blankets for her overnight guest.

"She needs looking after." Norma whispered to him. "We can't just drop her off at her hotel alone."

Romero nodded.

"Oh, she's so nice, Alex." Charlotte moaned as Norma covered her up. "Look, she's so pretty to."

"Alright, Chuck." he said quickly. "Go to sleep."

"I'm glad she makes you happy. I just want you to be happy." Charlotte said sleepily. Her voice droning on like she was in a trance. "I never saw you happy until I saw you look at her."

 **Got a fan request for fluff. I'm writing chapter 37 right now and I'm going to put a very romantic "FLUFF" for Normero in to a chapter after that.**

 **I hope you enjoyed the cute fight.**

 **Don't worry, sexy Normero soon.**

 **Thank you so much for reading.**

 **Please tell me if you want fan request in this story. I'll try to work it in. But it will be in later chapters.**


	29. Chapter 29

29.

~ "Sorry about that." Alex sighed while they cleared the table together. "Chuck used to be a better drinker. I think her wife has her on a health plan and when she's out of town she goes overboard with drinking and red meat."

"You could have told me she's a vegan." Norma gently scolded. "I made a pot roast."

"Her wife is a vegan. Chuck is just along for the ride." Alex corrected.

He nodded to the dishes that were piled up in front of the sink  
"Let me help you." he offered.

Norma almost told him not to worry about it. She knew, with her system, she could get done faster alone than with help, but she forgot all that when she saw him casually roll up the sleeves of his shirt. He was so fond of wearing layers, even during warm weather, she hadn't noticed the body beneath it all. She'd never seen Alex's forearms before and it caught her off guard to see him expose such an ordinary part of his body.

She could tell, just from the forearms, that he must be more muscular than his normal clothing revealed.

She handed him a clean dish rag and started washing glasses. She didn't care that she had a dishwasher and that the process was taking too long. It felt therapeutic to have Alex beside her helping her do the dishes. It was something no man had ever done with her before.  
"I like your friend." She told him truthfully.

"Yeah." Alex laughed. "Charlotte makes friends wherever she goes."

"She cares about you." Norma pointed out and scrubbed a plate before handing it to him to rinse.

"She does indeed." Alex agreed. "She told me once I was her brother. It was a very bad situation in her life. I was there to see it all. I'd never seen her so vulnerable. She told me she loved me and I was her brother and she would always be on my side. Just like I've had always been on her side."

He shrugged.

"Just like I always **will** be on her side." he corrected.

"What happened?" Norma asked softly. She didn't want to wake their guest on the couch.

Alex didn't look at her for a moment. He seemed troubled.

"She… um. She was raped. It was a long time ago now. We were stationed in Japan. The ones who did it were her fellow soldiers." he explained. "It was… very bad. She was in the hospital, but could still identity her attackers."

"Oh, my God." Norma breathed. Her heart went out to Charlotte who seemed to have such a charmed life.  
Alex shook his head.

"They closed ranks around the men she accused. They protected their own and blamed the victim. Wanted her to pretend it never happened. Made threats against her. Made her life hell for trying to bring them to justice." he explained.*

Norma was silent. She kept her focus on washing another plate.

"I was the one who found her. After it had happened. I was the one who had to see what was done to her. I wanted to be a witness for her." He admitted. "But I was shut out just like she was. Told to forget about it."

Norma looked at him in surprise.

"They managed to intimate you?" she questioned. It was hard to believe anyone scared Alex Romero.  
"That's why Chuck and I are so close. It felt like we were both victims. It's strange how something so awful can pull people together. It's like it creates a bond that no one else can understand. Charlotte is my sister. I love her. I know I love her. Never in a romantic way, but I would defend her till my last breath. If she needed me, I would be there in a second. I know she would do the same." he confessed. "It always felt like there was this invisible… cord between us. No matter how long it's been, it's like we were never apart."

Norma handed him the plate to rinse. Her thoughts were on her own brother. How the years of abuse had created such a bond. How they were closer than most siblings could ever be. How they never fought with each other, but always looked out for each other. How her brother's presence was her one safe place. Until everything became twisted.

"Is that why you wanted her to met me?" Norma asked. "Because she's family?"

"She wanted to meet you." Alex corrected again. "And yes, she's family."

"I'm glad I met someone so important to you. I'm glad you have someone so important to you." Norma told him.

She caught him glancing her way, but he was quick to look back at his work.

"You know, she's extremely attractive." Norma said casually. She couldn't quite shake that monkey off her back.

"You're telling me." Alex breathed. "You should see her wife Genesis. They are the most…" Alex looked slightly frustrated.

"Let me ask you something. Are you more attracted to her because she's a lesbian?"

"Yes. Very much so." Alex confessed without shame. "You should have seen the wedding. It was magical."

Norma was trying not to laugh.

"I mean, I was surrounded by beautiful women and no one even looked twice at me." he went on. "But the view was nice."

"Okay. Enough about the lesbians." Norma scolded gently.

They finished washing dishes in relative silence. It was a companionable chore that was better when done with another person.

"I boxed up some leftovers." Norma told him while she was wiping down the counter with vinegar.

She didn't miss the amused smile on his face.  
"Worried I'll starve to death?" he asked.  
"Worried you'll go back to eating those horrible TV dinners." she snapped.

"They're not that bad."

"They're the worst!" she snapped.

She looked back into the darkened living room to make sure Charlotte was still sleeping. Her guest was curled comfortably and snoring lightly.

"They are the worst." she whispered.

"I'll get the healthy ones." he whispered.

"No." she hissed.

"The ones that are for dieting."

"No!"

"They look good on the box photo."

"Alex!"

She sensed he was teasing her again. He was smiling that impressive smile that changed his whole face for the better. Made him look completely different.

"I don't know why you enjoy being so mean to me." she huffed and went back to re-cleaning her counter.

"I'm not sure why you insist on making food for me. I'm hardly starving to death, Norma." he said cooly.

She turned around to snap at him, saw he was teasing her again, and decided not to argue.

"Well, I guess it's because we're important to each other." she confessed sadly.

Alex was silent at this. She finished cleaning up, her kitchen had never sparkled more, before she had the courage to face him.

She didn't know why she expected him to look different, but he looked the same as always. Perhaps his features were a little softer. A hardness about him had melted slightly.

"Charlotte's gong to be out for a while." she said at last.  
"Yeah, I should get home. You… you don't mind looking after her?" he said awkwardly.

"You're leaving?" she asked in surprise.

Alex looked away.

"Yeah. I think it's time to go home. I'll be here early to pick her up." he nodded to the woman on the couch.

She was about to argue with him when the heavens opened up outside and rain poured down like nothing she'd ever seen before. The noise it made when it hit the roof and outside of her little house was so loud, she jumped.

She looked out her kitchen window and couldn't make out the backyard through the heavy downpour.

"Oh, my God." she breathed at the sight of such heavy rain. No sooner were the words out of her mouth than the power flickered off.

"Alex, you can't go out in this." she said. "You'll get into an accident."

He was standing beside her, his face grim at the sight of such destructive water.  
"We drove here in Charlotte's car." he said darkly. "I need to call in."

"What?" she asked.

He reached for her phone and tried to get a dial tone.  
"Storm like this, it's when I go to work, Norma. Accidents happen all the time in this weather." he explained.

He looked angry and hung up the kitchen phone.  
"Phone line's dead." he said.

"Alex, you can't go out in this!" Norma whispered. Thunder boomed softly outside.

"It's my job." he told her.

"No." she said plainly.

He looked back at her accusingly. In disbelief she would argue with a Sheriff's Deputy.  
"No, you're going to get yourself killed." she whispered. "At least wait for the rain to stop. Then you can go."

He was already putting on his jacket and looking for Charlotte's purse for her car keys.

"Alex!" she hissed.

He looked back at her and she said the only thing that would make him stay with her.

"I don't want you to leave." she said as honestly as she knew how. "Please. Please stay here. With me."

~ Alex felt the magic suddenly ripple back between them. It was like an ocean current, the way it pushed them from all sides into moving.

"With you?" he asked. His voice afraid of speaking too loudly.

She seemed reluctant. Her gaze drifting away from him for a second.

"Yes. With me." she whispered in the darkness that still enveloped them.

The storm outside as growing louder, but inside her little house was like being in a protective bubble where nothing could touch them. Alex sat Charlotte's purse on the table and shed his leather jacket.

Norma looked nervous, and he avoided eye contact. He wasn't used to feeling so unsure of himself around a woman. With any other partner, he'd always been mentally guarded, but at ease with himself physically. Norma kept him disoriented and curious about her. It was like he was drawn to fire and wanted to get burned.

' _She really is like the sun_.' he thought as he stepped closer to her.

In the darkness, she was looking up at him. Her face worried, but beautiful in the feeble light from the windows.

There was a sadness in her eyes, that made him afraid to touch her. That she might not really want this. Might not really want him at all. Maybe she was just lonely and scared and he just happened to be there.

His fingers was caressing her hair. Her locks were as soft as they looked and, just like she did not so many months ago, her face turned into his touch. Her own palm clasping his to keep them together.

"Are sure you want me to stay with you?" he whispered. His hand was around her back, pulling her body to him. His other palm slipping away from her angelic face, his fingers lacing around her neck.

She didn't say anything as he leaned in closer to her. Her breathing picking up as she looked back at him with her always expressive eyes.

He was so close, his lips barely touching her cheek now. His breath was on her skin and her body was moving into his. His hand was slipping over her back to pull her into him. Her arms were on his chest, her fingers running over the buttons of his shirt.

He wouldn't kiss her first. He couldn't. She had to be the one to grant him this. He refused to be responsible for seducing her. For taking her when she didn't want to be taken.

His lips were barely brushing over her chin and she still wouldn't kiss him first. His arms were around her back and were moving down to her hips. His hands were careful not to wander too far at such a new journey.

' _Just kiss me, Norma_.' he thought. " _Kiss me and I'll stay forever. I'll move mountains for you, slay dragons for you, please just kiss me right now.'_

Her breath was tickling his cheek and he felt how soft her lips were when they brushed past. He moved his hands off her hips and took hold of her face. Forcing her to look at him. Forcing her to stop this torture and let him give her everything.

She looked back at him with wide eyes. He could feel how heavy she was breathing between them. Her body so close to his, he could feel how hot her skin was. Feel how much she was trembling.

"I'll stay." he whispered to her. "Of course I'll stay."

He was leaning into her, her lips aching to belong to him, when a small cry broke through the sounds of the storm.  
"Mother?" Norman cried.

~ Norma jumped out of Alex's embrace and turned to see her youngest child standing in the kitchen. Her son barely three feet from them in the darkness.

"Honey!" she said with a false brightness as Alex let her slip away from him. His hands still wanting to touch her clothing. Like he wasn't really able to let her go complexity.

"Honey, what are you doing up?" she asked the little boy.

"Mother. Scared." Norman said.

He was looking at her with those big blue eyes of his, and she knew he was terrified of the storm.

"Oh, honey, it's just the rain. You know there isn't anything to be afraid of." she whispered to him.

She was quick to stoop down and pick him up. His thin little body curled neatly in her and his arms wrapped tight around her neck.  
"Mother." he moaned.

"You need to go to bed." she whispered to him and looked back at Alex. Romero gave her an expectant look and nodded. As though he agreed her youngest child needed to leave them alone immediately. She felt a rush of anger at that. Norman was still a baby after all and he was scared of the storm. All this rain was scary and it wasn't unusual for a child his age to be afraid.

"No." Norman cried.

Her son grasped ahold of her neck like he was drowning. He surprised her with how strong he could be.

"Norman." she whispered and tried to sooth him.

"Mother." he cried and buried his face in her shoulder.

"Okay, Norman, you can stay with us till you fall asleep." she told him.

"With… with us?" Alex questioned. His face surprised and she saw judgement in his normally kind eyes.

She looked back at him and felt more than ready to defend herself.

"I'm a mother first, Alex." she said darkly. "A mother first, everything else second."

 *** I'm sure you've all heard about the Stanford Rape Case involving Rapist Brock Turner and the infamous "20 minutes of action" letter. The sentence handed down was horrific and an insult to all survivors of rape and incest everywhere. It demonstrates that rape culture is alive and well in America today. That we are far more concerned with the comfort and future happiness of a rapist than with the safety and lives of women. This is a man who was caught red handed raping an unconscious woman behind a dumpster. A crime with physical evidence and witness testimony to prove he did this. Why this animal would get six months (the latest news is now three months) in protective custody and allowed to have a cell phone, is beyond me.**

 **This rape also didn't just hurt the girl and her family. It hurts all women and will make it harder for new victims to come forward. I've had a lot of talks with friends who themselves were survivors of rape, incest and molestation when they were young. When we slut shame a woman I think it adds to the rape culture. When we judge women for how they dress or if they have children out of wedlock, we add to the rape culture. When we treat women who have survived rape like they are damaged goods, we add to the rape culture.**

 **One of the things I'm very impressed with on Bates Motel is that it addresses rape from day one. It showed Norma was attacked and sexually assaulted in her own home and she was able to overcome such a horrible experience. Also, the stigma often attached to a rape survivor in real life is gone. Alex doesn't treat her like she's forever broken mentally or physically ruined by her attack. Instead, Normero clearly show us that they can have a very intense sexual side and never think about her assault once.**

 **After the Brock Turner verdict, I can see why Norma killed the crap out of Keith Summers. Maybe there is no justice. By all means, lets feel sorry for the rapist who had his home repossessed and was involved in sex trafficking. It was only a few minutes of action after all.**

 **I just wanted to vent, now I'm done.**

 **I want to wish one of my readers a very Happy Birthday and hope this chapter makes it even more awesome!**

 **Thank you to everyone that is following this story and leaving me feedback and reviews. Let me know what you think so I can make this even better.**


	30. Chapter 30

30.

~ Alex had to admit that Norma was a good mother. She gently tried to convince her youngest to sleep in his own bed, but the child refused. Norman was crying softly over the noise of the storm and only stopped when she promised he could sleep in her bed.

"I'm sorry." she admitted when she turned back to Alex.

Romero wanted to say it was alright, but his body wouldn't let him forgive the untimely interruption. He watched, almost jealously, as Norma carried her youngest to her room and tucked him into her bed.

Alex looked out the kitchen window at the horrible downpour and wished the rain would stop so he could leave. But Norma was right about it being too dangerous to leave the house in this mess. Especially with the street lights out. It was bad enough to cause an accident and he didn't like the idea of venturing outside when all he really wanted, was in the next room.

"Alex?" came her voice from the darkness.

Alex turned and saw Norma had come back in the kitchen wearing flannel pajamas that, unfortunately, covered everything from the neck down. She looked disappointed to and apologetic.  
"Norman was just scared by the storm. He'll go to sleep soon and then we can put him back to bed." she promised.

Alex stood his ground and refused to answer. He could feel resentment towards their little intruder twisting inside him like a sharp piece of metal.

"Come to bed." she whispered and took his hand. "We can take Norman back to his room as soon as he falls asleep."

He couldn't stay away from her gravity. He never could. But it felt like she had chosen Norman over him. There was the feeling that she would **always** choose Norman over him. He'd never felt like that with Dylan.

What was worse, was that Alex felt guilty for wanting Norma to choose him over her own child. To make the scared little boy stay in his room during a violent storm because the adults didn't want the interruption. Of course any three year old was scared of the rain and thunder, that was to be expected. It was wrong of Alex to even be upset about it. Norma was being a caring mother to her son and it was wrong of Alex to feel hurt that he had to be put off for the moment.

"Come here." he ordered. He took her arms in his and pulled her body close to his. She looked scared for a moment in the dim light of the kitchen window, but that was all apart of the thrill. "As soon as he's asleep." he whispered to her.

Her eyes, brilliant as ever looked over the lips that were dying to kiss her. Dying to burn her from the inside out. He could feel her tremble slightly and knew she wanted this moment to happen to.  
"As soon as he's asleep." she agreed.

~ "You know, I didn't notice it before, but I would have thought you were a brief man." Norma told Alex when he folded his jeans over the edge of her bed. Alex glanced down at the long flannel boxer shorts he wore now that the cooler weather was here. He kept his black T-shirt on to sleep in as well to keep away the cold that the rain would bring.

"Try to control yourself, madam. There's a child here." he said lazily and climbed into bed next to her and Norman.

It would have been his preference to have the little boy beside his mother on the edge of the bed, but it was clear that the child preferred to sleep between them. Perhaps it was where he felt safest. Between the two adults who could provide the best protection. Alex couldn't help but selfishly think of it as another means to keep him away from Norma.

"The tun-der-er." the child said when a great booming noise rolled across the sky outside.

"Thunder? It's not in here, sweetheart." Norma said and curled her body next to her son's.

Alex felt a bit awkward sharing a bed with her and her son. He'd never done something so… _domestic_ before. He never remembered sleeping in the same bed as his parents, no matter how hard it rained. But then again, the storms around here never bothered him. He'd grown up with heavy rain storms pounding over the farm house where he grew up.

"Thank you, Alex." Norma whispered when he relaxed his body in the soft, comforting fold of her bed.

"The storm is pretty scary." Alex admitted. He rolled over on his side to lay face to face with Norma. The darkness in the room covered them almost completely, but he could still see the outlines of her face. Still feel her body close to his.

He reached out and traced his fingers over her jaw line. Her skin just as soft as it always looked.

He pulled away when he felt her face turn to him. Her body moving closer to his. Now, with Norman right between them, was not the time for this.

"We should try to get some sleep." he whispered. She nodded, and he felt Norman curl tighter towards his mother.

"Good night." she said.

~ The droning rain outside lulled him to sleep quickly and he dreamed of his own childhood on that small farm not too far out of town. His mother was beautiful but sad all the time. When he would come home from school as a child, he never knew what to expect. Maybe she had been in bed all day and would keep sleeping for the rest of the week. Her hair and body going unwashed until Alex didn't want to go near her because of the smell.

Or, maybe she was in a good mood and she was sewing something on the machine his father had given her to encourage the hobby she seemed to enjoy.

She had not only made curtains for their home, but had made artistic quilts and even taught herself how to make some of basic clothes from patterns.

Alex never knew what kind of mood his mother would bed in. When things were good, they were very good. Dinner would be served and the house would be clean. His mother seemed capable and almost like a normal person. But those days never lasted long. Soon enough, she was in that dark place again. A place where no one could bring her out of.

One horrible afternoon, he came home to find her in the master bathroom. It was all tiled in pink and had all pink fixtures because his grandmother had redone the house in the mid sixties, when she thought such a color for a master bathroom was a terrific idea.

He'd gotten off the school bus and was running up the long driveway to the house so he wouldn't get too soaked. The sun was shining, but it was raining. Devil's Rain always meant something bad was about to happen. That was what he always heard from the older people around him. On a day like this, those who were deeply superstitious would stay indoors and wait for the oddly beautiful storm to end.

Alex had let himself into the house and found his mother sitting peacefully on the edge of the pink bathtub. She had stripped down to her underwear and a slip. Her hair hadn't been washed in days and there was blood all over the pink tile floor.

She was holding her wrists, the blood seeping out through her fingers in a way that terrified her ten year old son.

"Alex. Don't look." she whispered when he walked past the open door and found her like that.

He wasn't used to seeing red. His mother hated red. It was the worst color to her, and to him. Everything in their home was yellow or some other cheerful color. Red was forbidden.

Her blood was dripping on the pink bathroom floor and Alex panicked.

"Alex? It's… it's just… it's just a bad spell that's all!" his mother was calling after him when he ran to the kitchen phone to call Sybil Lawson.

Sybil barked at him to hang up and call the ambulance and that she would be right there.

"Alex? It's okay! It's just a bad spell that's all! I'll be fine in a few days!" his mother was crying. She had come out of the bathroom with a yellow towel wrapped around her wrists.

Alex was crying himself when he called the ambulance to come. His mother begging him not to. Not to tell anyone and that it was secret.  
"Alex! Don't let them in the house. You promised you were going to help me!" she screamed.

Alex knew he was betraying her. Knew that she had trusted him to take care of her. To hide whatever was wrong from the outside world at all costs.  
"My Mom." Alex said into the phone. "She's bleeding. She's hurt."

An ambulance came right away, and with it, the Sheriff's car. The Old Bear storming into the house ready for battle at all the intruders into his home and family.

He'd grabbed Alex by the shirt and demanded to know why an ambulance was called.  
"You just let him go, you dirty old bastard!" Sybil snapped at the Bear.

Alex wasn't paying attention to his father. He was used to being hit and threaten by the old man. He couldn't stop looking at all the blood on the floor.

"Alex, now you listen to me." Sybil said calmly. She knelt down next to him and looked him in the eye. "Your mom will be just fine. But she's going to have to go away for a little while."

"How… how long?" Alex had asked in a trembling voice.

He did this. He was responsible for this disaster in the house now. Paramedics, other police men who knew his father. His mother was going away and now everyone in town would know about her. About them.

"I don't know. But she's going to get help. She needs help and she can't get better if we don't help her." Sybil explained.

The Bear was fighting with the paramedics who was saying his wife cut her writs open. That she had done it to herself on purpose. Alex had never seen his father so enraged.  
"My wife wouldn't do that! It was an accident!" he spat at them.

Alex could feel Sybil pulling him into a hug. He smelled her cigarette smoke on her clothing. He kept looking at all the blood on the floor.

"You're gonna stay with me for a while, Little Bear." Sybil told him.

That was the first time his mother had gone to a special place. A hospital, for whatever was wrong with her. Alex only knew she was sick, but didn't know what was it was. No one would tell him and he would never truly understand it.

His mother's break down seemed to enrage his father, and Alex spent a lot of time living with Sybil or staying at a friend's house. The Sheriff was right about one thing, everyone in town knew about their family secret.

Alex always hated the color red after that day when the Devil's Rain had caused him to betray his mother's trust.

~ He woke up from vivid dreams of things he couldn't change to Norma's bedroom. There was some morning light coming in the window and it was still raining outside. He felt movement next to him and saw Norman in the dim light of early dawn. He was sitting on the bed between Alex and Norma awake and looking at the interloper in his mother's world.

"Son, you okay?" Alex whispered to the child sitting passively before him. He looked over at Norma and found her sound asleep. Her hair falling in her face.

Alex moved the wayward lock from her face and tucked it behind her ear.

He knew the reason why he was slightly jealous of Norman now. It wasn't because his would-be lover had chosen the child over him, but because she put her children before anyone. Even herself.

Norman was lucky to have a mother with such a strong will. Such determination and strength to keep fighting. Someone who wouldn't allow her kids to be bullied by anyone. Norma Bates would never lay in bed all day and not make sure her kids had something to eat. She wouldn't dream of having her son come home and find her in the bathroom with her wrists cut open. She would never leave this world of her own choosing. Never take pills the night before her son was coming to pick her up. Knowing full well he would be the one to find her dead.

Alex ran a hand over Norman's hair like he'd seen mothers do a hundred times. The little boy, his face sad and scared crawled next to him and rested his head on Alex's chest.

"It's only the rain, son." Alex whispered to the child. He could feel Norman's warm body wanting to cuddle next to his. "The rain can't hurt us."

~ Alex woke up again when Dylan had come into the bedroom to tell them Charlotte was in the bathroom throwing up.

Norma bolted awake at seeing her oldest in the bedroom with Alex laying next to her in bed.

"Dylan!" she breathed in embarrassment. "Deputy Romero was just staying over because of the storm."

She quickly scooped up Norman from his spot on Alex's chest.

"That lady is sick." Dylan explained. Seemingly unfazed by Romero in his mother's bed.

"Chuck." Alex groaned and pulled back the covers to the cold air. "I'll handle it."

The awkwardness of having to redress in a room with Norma and her two young children wasn't lost on him, but he didn't have much choice in the matter.

He could hear Norma scolding Dylan for coming in her room without asking as he went down the hall to the bathroom.

Charlotte was hugging the toilet and throwing up. Her face was pale and sweaty, her shiny hair was now limp and tangled.

"Chuck?" he asked and tried to turn on the light. The power was still out and the only light was through the bathroom window.

"Alex." Charlotte cried. "I'm sorry."

"You drank too much." Alex told her. He ran some water in the sink and wetted a towel to clean her face with.

"I know, I'm sorry." she said miserably.

Alex helped her to lay down on the floor and cleaned her face.

"Tell me what's wrong." he said. "You were half drunk at breakfast yesterday. You've been drinking all day and then you drank at dinner till you passed out. Tell me whats happening."

Charlotte was quite at first. Her face showed that she was broken inside.

"Genesis." she explained. She was crying silent tears like she did before. In Japan.

"You two having a fight?" Alex asked.

Charlotte sat up. Her face washed out from sweating and throwing up.

"Genesis has cancer." she admitted. "It's bad."

"How bad?"

"Bad enough that they can't do anything." Charlotte explained. "It started in the lymph nods and it's in her bloodstream now."

Alex was silent. He wanted to ask what kinds of treatments Charlotte and her wife were using to fight, but he knew that his dearest friend wouldn't be so broken if those treatments were doing any good.

"We've been fighting it for a year now." Charlotte admitted. She shrugged and rolled her eyes. "Her prognosis is not good. Genesis wants to start planning a funeral."

Charlotte let a cry escape her lips.  
"Alex, my wife wants to plan her own funeral! What do I do? I can't live without my wife! I can't!" she cried violently.

Alex felt tears spring forward and blur his vision. Charlotte pain was suddenly his pain. Her loss was his loss. He felt her sorrow and fear as acutely as if he was losing the only person he'd ever loved.

"We haven't even been married that long. I thought we would have years, **decades** ahead of us." Charlotte cried. She was weeping in his arms like the world was ending.

"We've been cheated, Alex." she cried. Her arms wrapping around him as if she were just a child. "We've been cheated out of our time together. We were so happy for a little while and then the diagnosis came. It stole everything from us. My wife is dying and I can't stand it. It's going to kill me."

Alex sat on the bathroom floor of Norma's house cradling Charlotte in his arms. If he knew the right thing to say to make the hurt go away, he would say it. But he kept silent and let her cry. Sometimes, it was best to let the pain in. To let it break you apart from the inside out. It was the only way it would ever heal agin.

 **I actually cried when I wrote this chapter about Charlotte. It's terrible to lose a spouse and I wanted to mirror what real Alex must be feeling on the show when Norma died and what all of us felt. That we were simply cheated out of so much Normero time. I hope the writers of the show understand how upset many of us were that their time together was cut off far too quickly. You had this excellent slow build and powerful execution and for what? Boom, it's over. Makes no sense.**

 **I also wanted to make another chapter about Alex's mother and how she suffered before her suicide. We know she was in and out of places like PineView and that she must have had a lot of issues. I wanted to show Alex is no stranger to people with mental health problems.**


	31. Chapter 31

31.

~ By the time Alex emerged from the bathroom, Norma was already up and dressed. Her hands busy, as always, with house work.

She never could fully explain why she liked cleaning so much when she felt nervous or sad. It calmed her, made her feel good about herself for taking something that was once dirty and making it beautiful again. It became an obsession for her as a child when she realized she could change the world she was forced to live in for the better just by picking up the trash, collecting the beer cans off the floor and washing the dishes. She wasn't much older than Dylan when she found out she was capable enough to make her home at least look at little better.

It had empowered her and gave her enough distraction so that she wasn't forced to face the grim reality of her circumstances. Old habits die hard, and she was tidying up the living room when Alex found her.

"Is Charlotte going to be alright?" she asked. She was tossing the used sheets from the couch into the laundry basket.

"She'll be fine. She just drank too much." Alex said. His face looked tired and worn out. His eyes were more distant and somber than usual.

"Look." she said quickly. "I'm really sorry about last night. I don't want you to think that I was-"

"It's fine." he interrupted.

"Alex, I didn't-"

"Norma, it's okay." he insisted. His voice sharp and it was clear he didn't want to talk about it.

She clutched the bed sheets over her stomach and felt more ridiculous than usual.  
"Look, I have to take Charlotte back to her hotel, and I really do have to go into work." he explained with difficulty. "I'm sure the department has been trying to reach me since the storm broke. There's probably been accidents and people hurt."

"No, I understand." Norma said. She didn't want him to go anywhere in this horrible weather but she remembered how the rescuers saved her from the bay. What if someone else was in trouble and Alex wasn't there to help them?

"Leave Charlotte here." she told him when he turned back to the bathroom to get his friend. "She's not feeling well. She needs to rest and have someone take care of her. I'll put her in my room. No one will bother her."

"I find it hard to believe no one else in this house will want to be in your room." he said dryly.

"Cute." she said with a touch of anger in her voice. "Now you see how my life is. Everything in my world stops when one of my kids scraps a knee. I have to put them first no matter what. My needs always come last."

Norma felt her own face flushing slightly. The resentment towards him just now, made her feel sick.

"Look, I'm sorry. I actually find it's very… reassuring." Alex told her at last.

She wasn't sure if he meant that to be spiteful, and glared at him. Alex shook his head.  
"Norma, I didn't mean that in a bad way. I… um… you know I don't ever remember my mother looking after me the way you look after the boys." he admitted. He refused to look at her when he spoke. She had a hard time reading him when he did that. When his eyes refused to meet hers, she couldn't tell what was the truth or not.

"I know I'm over protective." Norma said apologetically. "I know thats what everyone thinks. They're not wrong."

She tried to laugh it off, but he wasn't smiling.

"No, it's not that. That's not what I was saying." Alex told her. His voice was slightly harsh. He took a deep breath and glanced at her, his eyes quickly looking away again. "I know my mother loved me. I know that. But she wasn't as strong as you. She wasn't a fighter like you. She just, she just gave into the darkness. That's what I remember most. How she just gave up."

"Alex." Norma said. She hated the idea of his mother's death. It felt like her own heart had been punctured whenever she thought about it. All her annoyance at him seemed to melt away in an instant. "It's hard to stay strong when you can't see better times. I never could until that night you arrested Sam. I was always depressed and angry. I hated myself and my life, but I couldn't figure out how to change it. So it just kept getting worse."

He finally looked back at her. His face was like stone but his eyes were always honest. They always told her what he was feeling.

"We all have our sad stories. Remember?" she told him. "I think my story would have been a lot sadder if you hadn't helped me. Maybe I would have eventually given into the darkness to."

"Don't say that." Alex snapped and she saw anger, real and almost violent flash across his face.

She wasn't afraid of him. Never had been.  
"It's true." she whispered. "We've all been beaten down by the bad things in our lives. Especially when we can't change them."

Alex still looked angry, but his eyes softened.

"You changed the bad things in my life. My life is better, and I'm stronger because of it." she explained.

His face grew hard.  
"But I couldn't save her." he whispered curtly. "I never could."

"You have to forgive yourself for that." Norma whispered back.

"I can't. I can't forgive anyone." he confessed. His voice was so low she barely heard him.

She was about to say something when Charlotte came out of the bathroom.

"I'm sorry, Norma. I drank too much." she said.

Alex had his back to his old friend and he stayed rooted in place so she wouldn't see the tears that were brimming in his eyes.

Norma, as usual, was quick to action. She stepped around Alex and plastered on her ever ready smile.  
"It's okay. It's not your fault. You were around your friend and you two were having too much fun. I want you to lay down on my bed and rest. Alex has to take your car. The storm last night was really bad and he has to go." she said quickly escorting Charlotte to her bedroom.  
"Dylan! Norman! OUT!" she barked at the boys who were already going through her closet. Norman had pulled out one of her blue sweaters and was walking around with it.

"Boys, go play in your room, right now!" she snapped at them.  
"Mom! I want to play in the rain!" Dylan whined.  
"You're not going outside." Norma told him and helped Charlotte to bed.  
"I want to play in the water!" Dylan cried.  
"If you want to play in the water you can help me clean the bathroom." Norma scolded.

"No." Dylan whined.

It took her a least ten minutes to wrangle the boys into their room, keep them there and check on Charlotte again.

When she finally had time to look for Alex, he was already gone.

~ Alex was right about the need for more police presence in town. The rain had swelled the bay up to main street and showed no signs of stopping. A quick stop at his house for a change of clothes and he was in his SUV decked out in proper rain gear that would keep him dry even in this horrible weather.

He hid the keys to Charlotte's rental under the potted plant on the front porch.

He knew, even without telling her, that she would find her keys. He knew how she thought and vic versa.

"Tired to call you last night, Alex. This storm blew in and we needed you." Wilson was saying as the two men were helping a tow truck driver move someone's car before the swell of the bay waters claimed it.

"I wasn't at home. The waters had be trapped for the night with no phone line." Alex told the Sheriff.  
"Everyone's saying an FBI agent was here looking for you yesterday." Wilson said.

"She found me."

"I heard the two of you looked fairly cozy at the pancake house, then walking around town."

"Guilty as charged." Alex agreed.

"It's odd because I would have thought you and that Norma Bates were getting along well."

"We get along just fine, Sheriff."

"So it was all business with that FBI agent? Business and nothing more?" Wilson asked.

"It's always all business with the FBI. Isn't that what you told me?" Alex asked.

"So what did this agent want?"

"She was investigating why the Sheriff of White Pine Bay is so interested in my love life." Alex said easily.

"Alex, I mean it, I can look away if you honestly have feelings for this Bates woman. I believe that you care for her and that's why. But I won't look away from you screwing around while keeping a single mother on the line. It's not fair to her." Wilson scolded.

Alex felt only mild irritation.  
"Tom." he said at last. "I was at Norma's house last night. I have been, every night since the accident; at her request. That FBI agent is actually an old friend of mine from the Marines who happened to be in town. I brought her over to meet Norma last night before she has to go home to her wife who was diagnosed with terminal cancer last year."

Alex turned back to the bay and saw the water was still advancing towards them.

"We'd better move more of these cars." he said and waved for the second tow truck driver to come.

~ It was mid afternoon when the rain finally stopped and the power came back on. Norma peered out her window to see the lane to her house was flooded. She wasn't about to take 'The Old Girl' out on those roads. Even to take Charlotte back to her hotel.

She was relived to hear the dial tone on her kitchen phone. She called Sybil to make sure she made it through the night. The old woman was angry she was going to miss a poker tournament with all this rain.

She called the Sheriff's office and left a message for Alex to call her.

She was about to tell Charlotte the phone was free when her house guest came out of the bedroom looking much better. Her purse already slung over her shoulder. Norma was a little surprised to see the cell phone in her hand. She didn't know anyone who had one before.*

"One of my team members is picking me up, Norma. I can't think you enough for looking after me last night and I'm sorry I'm such a miserable drunk." Charlotte said with her big smile.

"You don't have to leave." Norma insisted. "Don't you want to wait for Alex?"

"No, I'll call him later. Twenty bucks says he's got my car at his house. He hid the keys under the dead potted plant on the porch. I know how he thinks." Charlotte said with a sigh.

"Wow." Norma said with a smile. "You two really are close."

"Norma?" Charlotte said. Her voice serious and Norma felt worried.  
"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Look, Alex has a lot of layers. He's just like a big horrible, smelly onion. And I mean that in the nicest way." Charlotte explained.

"Yeah, it sounded nice." Norma said without thinking.

"But under all of that," Charlotte went on. "He's really the most caring person I've ever met. He's incredibly thoughtful and kind. He just has trouble showing it. He has a hard time letting people in. That wall he's built around him never cracks. It's what keeps him safe."

Norma shifted from one foot to another. She was feeling anxious talking about Alex like this.

"I'm only telling you this because he wants to let you in. When he talked about you to me, his face changed. I never saw him like that before. He cares for you. If you have a chance to be happy with him, I want you to grab it. Trust me, sometimes you're cheated out of your time with the one you'd thought you'd grow old with." Charlotte explained.

Norma couldn't react to this. She wasn't sure what to say.

"He's worth it." Charlotte told her. "I know he seems distant and miserable all the time, but he's worth it."

Norma was still speechless when a large black SUV rolled up to her driveway.

"Oh, there's my ride!" Charlotte called happily.

She practically skipped to the front door and then stopped short and turned around.

"Oh Norma, really quick, I hate doing this but I have to because he's basically my brother and I love him, but if you break his heart I'll have INS deport you to Russia." Charlotte said with a shark like grin.

"Thanks again, dinner was lovely! I'll call you!" she shouted before jumping in the back of the large SUV.

 *** This is all taking place in 1998 or 1999. Cell phones were not nearly as common. I don't think I even had one till 2001 or so.**

 **I know in the last chapter, Alex might have seemed a little bit of a jerk. Him being jealous of Norman for interrupting Normero sexy time. After all Norman is just a toddler in this story. But Alex isn't used to these younger kids. Has never been involved with a single mother before. Also, it's their flaws that make the characters so much better. I think your average guy is going to be a little resentful to a kid interrupting sexy time no matter how good of a guy he is. Alex is no prince charming and I'm not going to rewrite him that way.**


	32. Chapter 32

32.

~ The flooding around White Pine Bay was bad, but was quickly receding. By evening, it was clear that the town was no longer in danger.

"Looks like we were spared the worst of it." Wilson admitted. "But Ellison County and the neighboring communities were hit hard. We need everyone on deck to assist in evacuation of people trapped in their homes as well as animals."

"Saving kittens from trees." one of the younger deputies groaned. "Just what I signed up for."

"You can stay here and direct traffic on Main Street till the lights come back on, Thompson." Romero said harshly.

He glared back at the younger deputy. Alex knew that Wilson wasn't going to tell theses new recruits about the realities of these storms. About the looting that ran rampant, about the families separated and about the shut ins or the disabled who were trapped in the storm and died at home. Those were always the worst. The smells coming off the water when authorities went to door to door to check, only to find a bloated body that had been dead for days.

No, it was best to let the younger crew who thought they were hot shit find out for themselves how bad things can get. It helped thin out the heard. Helped eliminate the weak willed ones. Romero was sure Thompson would cry when he saw his first body. He was willing to bed good money on it in fact.

"Everyone, make your phone calls." the Sheriff ordered.

~ Alex stopped by his desk and saw the pink sticky note Clarice left him that Norma Bates had called. He took a seat and was glad the phone lines were working. Thankful for the familiar dial tone of his office phone before he called her house.

She picked up on the second ring, her voice hurried and concerned as usual.

"Hey, it's me." Alex said by way of hello.

"Alex, are you okay?" she she demanded quickly. His burdens felt lighter at the concern she had for him.

"I'm fine. I got your message to call."

"Well you just vanished on me."

"Told you, I had to work."

"You work a lot." she informed him curtly.

He was glad she couldn't see the grin on his face at the gentle insult.

"Is the power back on over there?" he asked.  
"Yes. Came back on around the same time Charlotte left. Her fiends picked her up. She said she knew where you would hide her keys. Under-"

"Under the plant on my porch." Alex finished for her. "Yeah she knows me pretty well."

"I think so."

"I'm sorry she gave you so much trouble. It's a personal thing. I can't really talk about now." he said sadly.

"It's okay. I get it. We all have our issues." she said. "Is there a lot of damage around town? I've been too afraid to drive anywhere."

"Roads are cleared." Alex told her. "But the neighboring communities around the bay weren't so lucky. Sheriff Wilson is sending a lot of us out to help them. It might be a few days before I'm back."

"A few **days**?" Norma said harshly. "Well, what do you have to do? Is it dangerous?"

"Just rescuing kittens from trees." he lied.

"Oh, okay."

Alex looked around to make sure no one else at the station saw him grinning like an idiot. He suddenly thought of a cleaver thing to say. Perhaps it was an inside joke only he and Charlotte would have gotten, but it was about Norma.

"Yeah, I'll be okay. I just… I just miss the sun." he said with all the sincerity he'd ever felt for her.

Norma was quite for a moment. No doubt wondering what he meant exactly.

"Well." she said at last, not getting the meaning. "At least it's stopped raining."

"Yeah." Alex agreed happily.

"Okay, well you be safe rescuing kittens." she told him.  
"I will."

"Come by the house when you're back, and I'll cook us all a nice dinner." she ordered.

"Yes, ma'am." he said.

~ By Monday morning, the roads were cleared enough for the boys to go to school and daycare. But downtown was still a mess and Hilary's kitchens were closed. All parties, and all catering was put on hold until further notice, which meant Norma couldn't work.

Norma was worried. She'd been going over the bills lately and it wasn't good news. Even with her benefits, she wasn't making enough money. Her rent, coupled with Norman's daycare and now the expected cost of a car payment just wasn't adding up.

She did the math again and realized she wouldn't be able to afford even a small car payment. Not that she had much to put down for it. Her time off for her broken arm had really put a dent in the family savings. It had been hard to bounce back from that. Now with the storm cancelling all the catering events, she might not be able to afford rent.

She leaned back in her chair and tried to think of a solution that didn't involve the check she was being forced to sit on till Norman turned eighteen.

She wondered if she called Sybil if the old lady would have an idea. She would have liked to talk to Alex about it, but the idea of flashing a million dollar check around was slightly off putting. Besides, Sybil and Alex weren't professionals. They didn't know about banking.

Norma stood up as if she were sleep walking and went to the kitchen phone. She opened the slim White Pine Bay phone book to find the number for the only bank in town. She was a little surprised to hear a human pick up and not a recording the tell her the bank was closed because of the flooding.

"White Pine Bay Federated, Rebecca Hamilton's office." came a crisp professional voice.

"I didn't think you'd be open." Norma said quickly. "I have a question about an insurance claim check I just received."

"Do you have an account with us?" the Hamilton woman asked.  
"Yes, it's under Norma Bates."

"Norma?" the Hamilton woman accused.

"Yes." Norma answered.

The Hamilton woman was silent a moment.  
"What's the question?" she finally asked.

"My late husband was insured for a large amount and I just got a check from his insurance company." Norma explained quickly. "The thing is, that it's made out to my son and not me. The adjuster told me my son has to be eighteen in order to cash this check. That he has to have an ID and everything. Is there anyway around that?"

The Hamilton woman was silent for a moment.  
"Sure, Norma." she said sweetly. "Why don't you come down today if you don't mind all the water. The roads are pretty clear and most of downtown is open."

"Oh, great." Norma said happily. It was good to hear such a friendly voice. "I'll be right down."

~ "So lucky the storm wasn't worse." Norma said when the Hamilton woman met her in the lobby of the bank.

"Yes, but us locals are used to it." the Hamilton woman said cheerfully.

"So, you know about this kind of stuff?" Norma asked. She held fast to the folder with all of Sam's life insurance information and the million dollar check.

"Well, I can see what I can do for you." she said breezily. "I'm a CPA and I do a lot of bookkeeping for some of the businesses here in town. I also set up retirement accounts. That kind of thing."

Norma took in the Hamilton woman's expensive clothes and hair cut. She looked extremely professional. Norma had always judged people by their clothes. If they had money or were dirt poor, if they were well educated or high school drop outs. Except Alex of course. He was impossible to pin down by what he wore.

"Now, I remember the name Norma Bates from somewhere." Rebecca Hamilton was saying when she let Norma into her large office and closed the door behind them.

Norma felt uncomfortable.  
"I was in a car accident a few days ago. That Keith Summer's person hit me... and my car was in the bay." Norma explained as if it wasn't anything too serious. She knew she'd been in the paper because Sybil had called her about it.

"That's right. Deputy Romero swam out to save you." Rebecca said eagerly. "I think, wait, didn't Alex also shoot your husband for you?"

Norma winced because it felt like an accusation. As if the Hamilton woman was being slightly mean. She told herself to breath again and looked this impressively dressed woman in the eye.

"Deputy Romero shot my husband in self defense." Norma said anxiously.

"Well, that is Alex to perfection isn't it?" Rebecca said. She pulled up some paper work from her filling cabinet. "That's why the ladies in town just love him."

"Oh." Norma laughed. She didn't feel right about girl talk with this woman. I wasn't like it was in the kitchen where she worked. It felt like Rebecca was a cat playing with a mouse. And Norma was the mouse.

"I'll be honest with you." Rebecca said.

Her eyes moved over Norma's hair and clothing.

Norma felt like she was dressed like an old woman compared to Rebecca. Her clothing wasn't as form fitting or expensive and on trend. Norma's clothes, which she always liked in her new life, felt out of style and far to basic.

"He and I used to see each other romantically, but I got sick of all his friends who just happened to be really attractive women." Rebecca confessed.

"You did?" Norma asked doubtfully. "You two dated?"  
"Yeah, I mean, Alex is great. He really is, but he starts laying down all his mommy issues on you. It's his ace in the hole. It's always how he get's a girl's panties down." Rebecca told her casually. "The locals all know his game but he can still pull the wool over the women who come during summer. It never hurts with the uniform and those puppy dog eyes either."

Norma sat back in her chair. Why did it feel like she had just been punched in the chest?

"I like Alex, I really do." Rebecca said sweetly. "But I don't want to see you get… well get used like that. It's fine if you were his normal weekend girl. You know, twenty year old bimbo who's down for the summer. But you've got kids and I don't think it's right if he's trying to play you."

Norma almost snapped back at Rebecca to say there was no way Alex was playing her. But suddenly everything she had said was now looking different. Alex taking her out on the bay with Dylan. Getting closer to her by getting close to her kids. What if she was just another conquest for the Deputy? What if after he bedded her, he would forget all about her and her sons?

"Well, now lets talk about the insurance money." Rebecca said happily. Norma felt numb when she handed over the folder.

Rebecca looked it over and her eyes went wide.

"This is impressive." she admitted.

"Yeah, the check is made out to my son. He's only three. Not to get too much into my personal life, but we could really use the money now." Norm admitted.

"Especially after that accident." Rebecca nodded. "Don't worry. I have an idea that will let you have a substantial portion of this money."

"Really?" Norma asked hopefully.

"We set up a trust for Norman and use the check to open it. You won't be able to get to the principal, but if we invest even modestly, you can easily withdraw the interest it earns." Rebecca told her.

"Wait, how much interest will it earn?" Norma asked skeptically.

"A million dollars?" Rebecca laughed. "Let's see, around a thousand a month."

"Oh!" Norma said brightly.

"And that's just being on the low end." Rebecca told her.

"No, that's fine!" Norma breathed in relief. "Oh, my God. That will make a huge difference to us."

"Let's get started on the paper work." Rebecca said.

"Are you sure it's legal?" Norma asked. "That I can take out the money?"

"You're taking out the **interest** that the money is **earning**." Rebecca told her. "You're the parent of the minor child who's account this will be. It's perfectly legal. That's how all these rich assholes protect their money. They give it to their kids in a trust. I should know, I do it all the time."

Norma was nodding. It made sense and Rebecca seemed to know what she was talking about.

"Okay." she sighed. "What do I need to sign?"

~ It had been a hard week for Alex, but now it was over and the Sheriff's Deputies had been released to go home again.

All of the flooding had wrecked the roads and caused accidents in the neighboring communities. It was sixteen hour shifts with no end in sight. He had to do everything from checking and rechecking flooded homes for looters, directing traffic and evacuees to yes, even saving animals that had been left behind. He had to sleep at the fire station in shifts and if he didn't want to go home so badly, he would have enjoyed himself.

He normally liked this kind of work. Something that was distracting and took him away from White Pine Bay for a while was always welcome. Except lately he wanted to go back home and to Pine Valley Lane. He missed the life he saw himself in with Norma. A life that was complicated, sure, but one that wasn't so lonely. He liked seeing that phone message from her on his desk right before he left. A note that was just to check on him. To have him call her back. To nag him slightly about saying safe. He liked the dinners she insisted on sending home with him. The feeling like she wanted to look after him and he could look after her.

Alex was only a few miles outside of White Pine Bay when he decided to check on the old farm. He didn't get a chance to look over the house he'd grown up in before or after the storm, but he'd always kept it shut up year round.

The farm was nestled in a little clearing outside of town, but still inside the county. As usual, no storm had been able to damage the house. It was too solidly built. There was a time when Alex wished it would all just blow away. Too many bad memories were here in this house.

His great grandfather had built the foundation and main room after he'd gotten home from the war in 1919, and it had always been the Romero family homestead. It was originally a small house, but decades of additions and upgrades had made it much bigger. The windows were still shuttered tightly against the elements and everything looked secure. Even the front porch which was at least fifty years old now, was steady under his feet.

He unlocked the front door to the house and was rewarded with the feeling of time travel. His mother's yellow curtains hung in the living room, just like always. The rooms were all dark with the storm shutters over the windows. His parents sofa was still in its normal place, pushed up against the wall in view of the TV. Alex hadn't bothered to keep the electric up in the house and everything was dark and smelled stale. He looked over the kitchen that sat right next to the living room. He remembered doing his homework on this same kitchen table while his mother cooked and his father sat on the couch watching the news.

' _Stove will have to be replaced. New fridge and maybe a dishwasher to. We'd lose some storage space, but we've got plenty._ ' Alex thought.

He decided the old farm sink in the kitchen was still serviceable, and looked over the bathroom next to his parents old bedroom. Nothing had been changed there since the 60's when his grandmother decided to redo everything in pink. Even the tiles on the floor and walls were pink.

He wasn't sure why his grandfather had allowed the pink monster to take over the bathroom like that, or why his own father hadn't ripped it out when he moved his own family here, but Alex would replace everything. He still remembered what it looked like when his mothers blood was on that pink tiled floor.

Alex wandered into his parents old bedroom and found very little had changed since his mother died. His father didn't live here after she passed away, and the sheets were stripped off the bed his mother died in.

The yellow curtains were here to. Hanging limp and faded in the dark bedroom. He closed the door on the master bedroom. After all these years, he still wasn't ready.

The other rooms, the ones his grandfather and father added on in later years were in good shape. The bathroom his father added on in the 80's didn't need any work done to it at all.

The house would need a new paint job, although maybe vinyl siding was the way to go. However he looked at it, it would be a few months of upgrades. And he couldn't do much until the rain stopped. Maybe in summer he could start upgrading.

' _Still livable_.' he decided at last once he'd checked the attic for water damage and even the barn for signs of decay due neglect.

His father's old truck was still there and his mother's classic 1957 300 Ford Sedan* sat nestled together side by side. Both of them waiting for years now for their owners to come back.

He'd always liked his mother's old car. No one else in town had one like it and she had always loved to drive it. His father had taken on the job of maintaining the older model and Alex felt he had disrespected his mother's memory when he left it to collect dust in the barn. He'd removed the tires after she died, drained the fluid for long storage, and covered it up, but he'd always meant to do more.

' _I need to have mom's old car looked at. See how much it would take to get it working again_.' he decided. He didn't want to have it towed to the junk lot in the next county, but he couldn't leave it there to rot.

Alex went back to his SUV and tried to think of anything else he might need to do to his parent's old house. To **his** house now, before letting go of the place he rented closer to town. It would take a lot of his savings and would be a never ending weekend project for a least a year, he decided. But Norma Bates had a lot of energy and she was fearless.

 *** 1957 300 Ford Sedan. The car Marion Crane was driving when she arrived at the Bates Motel.**


	33. Chapter 33

33.

~ Norma was about to leave for the grocery store when she saw the always welcome sight of Alex's SUV pull into her driveway. When she saw the faint smile he always gave her, she instantly forgot everything Rebecca told her about him.

"Alex!" she called when he walked over to meet her on the porch. "You're back!"

He needed a shave and maybe some more sleep, but it was good to see him again.

"Yeah… I just got back." he said shyly. His voice had changed somehow. He nodded to the green Mercedes in her driveway.  
"That's Sybil's car." he said.

"Yeah, she loaned it to me until I can get another one." Norma told him.

He looked back at her in surprise.

"She loaned you her mother's car?" he questioned.

"Just until I can get another one." Norma told him with a shrug. "She said if I liked it I could buy it from her. I called the insurance company and they have severely devalued the Buick. It's awful."

Her voice was sour and she knew she sounded bitter and angry.  
"Maybe I should call them. I'm a sheriff's deputy after all." he offered.

"No, don't do that. It's not your problem." Norma told him. "It's embarrassing. I don't really have enough money saved for a downpayment and I don't see how I can afford a car payment right now anyway. If I get another job, I'll have to get a sitter for the boys and then that will eat up whatever money I make. Then my benefits will be taken away because I'm earning too much."

It was making her head hurt to even think about it.

"But I think I have it figured out. I went to the bank last week and talked to a lady there. Her name is Rebecca something. She's really smart, I think she can help me figure it out. It's just going to take awhile." she sighed and put on her fake smile.

Alex's eyes had gone wide.

"Norma if you need help-"

"No, that's not what I was asking." she interrupted. The last thing in the world she wanted right now was money from Alex. "I'm going to be fine." she told him stubbornly.

He was looking at her in that odd way again. The way he looked at people he thought were lying. In that way that said he knew something she wasn't willing to share.

She tried to shake off that stare of his with a shrug and her fake smile. But once he had eye contact with her, it was like she couldn't escape.

"I'm fine." she insisted.

He didn't seem convinced, but changed the subject.

"So has everything else been okay here?" he asked and nodded to her house.  
"Oh, yes." she said brightly. "Boys didn't even miss school. Dylan was really popular in class after the accident. It's all anyone at work wants to talk about to now that Hilary reopened. I'm a celebrity again." she shrugged.

"Well, as long as everyone was okay." he said somberly.  
"Are you okay?" she asked. "I called up to the station a few times this week, but they said you were still out."

"Yeah." he said quickly. "Sorry I didn't call you again. Just a lot of wadding into high water."

"I was worried. I heard the flooding was bad and there was looting."

"Just rescuing kittens from trees." he said.

She knew he was lying about that. But she also knew she shouldn't ask about it too much. If he wanted to tell her, he would.

"Well, the only really good news is that Dylan is moving into the gifted program at school." Norma remembered suddenly.  
"Really?" Alex asked. His smile wanting to come back.

Norma shrugged and tried not to act too proud.

"Yeah. It's crazy, he got some kind of testing done and then they moved him into the advanced class with a bunch of other kids from different grades." she beamed. Her smile was real now when she saw the look of amazement on Alex's face.

"That's wonderful." Alex said. "You must be really proud."

Norma tried to act like it wasn't a big deal.  
"I always worried about Dylan the most." she confessed.

"Why?"

Norma bit her lip hard. She had said too much.

"It just took him a long time to talk." she lied. "Mother's always worry."

Alex nodded and they were surrounded by the awkward silence once more.

"You need to come for dinner tonight." she ordered at last. "You look terrible."

"Thanks." he laughed. "I know I look terrible. I'm going to go home and have a real shower then take a nap."

"Is there anything special you'd like for dinner?" she asked. She was in the mood to do anything that would make him happy.

"I'm not hard to please." he said with a shrug. "I'll eat whatever you make."

"Good to know." she said.

He looked away.

"Well, I would hug you but I smell pretty bad right now." he said. He stated back to his SUV and was about to leave.  
"Alex?" she called after him. It had been bugging her since she talked to Rebecca, but she didn't know how to bring it up.

She quickly rushed out to stop him from leaving and almost collided into him when he turned back to her. All his attention now focused on what she had to say. She felt stupid for asking this. Stupid of needing to ask him this.

"Alex, I just… I just need to know that…" she said awkwardly. His brow furrowed as he waited for her to continue. "I mean, I'm a mother. If I weren't, then it would be different."

"What would be different?" he demanded.

"This." she said quickly. Her hands moving between them. "Us. Whatever it is we're doing."

She shrugged when he still glared at her.  
"I just… I'm not looking for anything… um, casual." she admitted.

"I thought you weren't looking for anything at all." he said sharply.

She felt annoyed when he threw her own words back at her without even acknowledging her fears.

"I didn't think I was. But if I was, I just, don't want to be like…" she shrugged. "I would want, what this is... to be real. If that means you're done here, then that's what it means."

Alex nodded. He looked away from her, then climbed back in his SUV.

She could feel her heart being ripped apart inside her chest. He had been called out. The truth was exposed and he decided to leave because she wasn't into a fling. Rebecca had been right.

She felt the sadness grow when he started the engine and tried to tell herself this was for the best. She would be fine. She'd had her heart broken before. Maybe not this bad, but she would be fine.

"Norma?" he called back from the drivers seat. She looked back at him, his face cold as always but his eyes were sincere. They always were the window to his soul and they never lied to her.

"It's always **been** real. It always **will** be." he said firmly.

She had to take a moment to realize what that meant. He was driving away from her house and she was left behind with the feeling of relief flooding over her. Her heart not in pain anymore, but had taken flight instead.

~ Alex knew Rebecca would be at the bank or at the cafe across the block. She loved it there because everything came from the farmers market and was homemade. So what if it was fifteen dollars for a salad? Just so long as she was seen eating at the trendy place in town. Rebecca was all about appearances.

He spotted her at the cafe right away, it was almost noon and it would be her lunch hour. She was at the window seat, with some kind of disgusting vegan soup or something with kale in it. Alex slipped into the cafe unnoticed by all the hipsters and posers, ordered something with bacon and beef in it. He paid the twenty dollars for a sandwich and sat down next to her.

He had to admit it to himself, she looked very attractive in a navy dress that hugged her body perfectly. Her hair was swept back in a pony tail and her black framed glasses making her look especially intellectual and fashionable as she read a copy of "Dorian Grey" while eating her lunch.

She looked up at him as soon as he settled next to her. Neither one of them cared to speak first. Alex made sure to put a lot of ketchup on his sandwich before he spoke first.

"I want you to stay away from Norma Bates." he said tersely.

"What?" she said with that fake look of shock. "What are you talking about?"

"She said that you're helping her with some money problems. Whatever you're planning to do to hurt her, don't do it." he said in a low voice.

"Who is Norma Bates?"

"Stop."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Deputy."

"I said stop it." Alex said harshly. "She told me you were helping her."

"Oh!" Rebecca said with a look of amused delight. Her acting skills were terrible if she was trying to convince him she just remembered her. "Norma Bates! Yes, she did come by the bank the day after the big storm. Seems there's a lot of life insurance her husband left her when he died."

Alex felt his chest grow tight. Norma never mentioned anything about life insurance for Sam Bates.

"Oh, excuse me. He didn't just die, did he?" Rebecca said casually. "He was shot and killed. By you. And now she's trying to cash a one million dollar life insurance policy that's been made out to her youngest son. So illegal, Alex. She could go to prison for that kind of thing. Now the man who shot and killed her husband has been spending his nights at her place, and she's trying to cash in that blood money."

"Stop it." Alex said. He was finding it difficult to breathe.

"I just hope no one ever finds out about it. It would be easy to leap to the wrong conclusion wouldn't it? People might think the two of you plotted to murder Sam Bates to get that money. Maybe waited a few months before trying to cash it. Norma was smart to suggest a trust so she could get some of it-"

"You need to think very carefully about what you're doing, Rebecca." Alex said coldly.

"I know exactly what I'm doing." she said. "I'm getting leverage."

"For what?" he growled.  
"As long as you play ball, you're little girlfriend won't have to go to prison." she said lazily.

"You and I-." he started to say.  
"Don't flatter yourself." she snapped. "You were just a diversion for me. We had our fun but that's over. I'm talking about Bob Paris."

"What does Bob Paris have to do with this?"

"He want's you on his team. You'll be the next Sheriff as soon as Wilson leaves. All these heroics lately, and the town loves you. You're like a rock star right now. Bob Paris wants to help you succeed, that's all." she said in that false sweetness that always told Alex she was plotting something horrible.

"If I'm not on Bob's team?" he asked.

"Norma Bates goes to prison for fraud, at the very least." she said with a shrug. "At worst the two of you will go down for murder. You really want her two kids in the foster system? Isn't it easier just to hear Bob out?"

She finished her soup and closed her book.

"I have to get back to the bank, Alex." she said. "You look terrible. Go home and take a shower."

~ "It's meatloaf with pecan maple gravy." Norma told Alex when he let himself in the house that evening and commented of the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen.

"Sounds perfect." he admitted.

"Deputy Romero!" Dylan cried before Alex had a chance to properly say hello to Norma.

Alex had to practically catch the child in mid air, Dylan flung himself so hard at him. For the next half hour Romero listened to Dylan talk about his new class, the turtle that was the class pet, how they were not just learning numbers anymore, but how to find numbers that weren't even there. About books they were going to read and not have read to them. About how he was going to have a lab partner and how they were going to have a pizza party at the end of the week.

"And mom says if I do really well, I can have my own turtle at the end of the school year." Dylan finished.

"Well, I said I would think about it." Norma corrected him.

"So I've been learning about how to take care of turtles. I have to get an aquarium." Dylan explained rapidly.

Alex looked back to Norma who was helping her youngest into his booster seat at the table. He would have to find a graceful way to get her alone to talk about Rebecca and that life insurance money. A part of him was a little angry Norma never mentioned a one million dollar life insurance check before.

But Dylan was talking about his school again and how everyone had asked him about the wreck. Even the big kids who were older talked to him now.  
"I wasn't scared at all when we were in the water." Dylan informed him when Norma called them all to dinner. She made sure Alex had the largest cut of meatloaf and told him she'd already made to go boxes for him to eat at home to.

"I know you weren't." Alex said to Dylan.  
"I'd been in the water before when we were fishing." Dylan said casually.

"We all decided Dylan is going to take swimming lessons now." Norma told Alex dryly.

"That's a very good idea." Alex admitted.  
"Did you learn to swim when you were my age?" Dylan asked him hopefully.

Alex decided it was best not to tell the truth on this. That he had been swimming since he was younger than little Norman. All the locals learned to swim early.  
"I think I might have been older than you." Alex said after some thought. "But you're a smart kid, I bet that's why you can swim at your age.

"I'm going to be good at it. I want to go swimming in the bay again." Dylan said.  
"No, you won't!" Norma snapped. Her eyes large with sudden authority.

"No, you won't." Alex said in a calmer voice. "That water is very cold, even in the summer. You can get hypothermia and die."

"What does hypo… hypo-th" Dylan tried to ask Alex.

"Hypothermia." Alex said. "It means the water is very cold and will make your body very cold. A lot of people die in that bay from hypothermia."

"Something you can tell the class." Norma said gently.

"Yeah." Dylan nodded. "I had hypo… therm…ia when I went fishing and fell in the water."

"Well, you could have had it." Alex corrected.

"Is that why you made me take off all my clothes except my underwear?" Dylan asked.

"Yes, but don't tell your class that." Norma said easily. Alex had to fight the urge not to laugh. "It would make people think I'm a bad mother."

"No one thinks that, Norma." Romero said honestly.

~ "Sorry for all the chatter." Norma was saying as Alex helped her wash up again. She really liked having him help her wash the dishes now. It felt like their alone time, even with the boys in the next room.

"He's just so excited about his class. I've never seen him like this." she admitted.

"Yeah. I hope he doesn't tell his class how he fell into the bay." Alex admitted.

"I'm sure he will." Norma sighed. "If anyone asks though, I was the one who took his clothes off to prevent hypo-ther-mia." she said that last word like she was in a spelling bee and they both snorted a laugh.

Alex was rinsing a plate when she saw his face looked more troubled than normal.

"What is it?" she asked.

He finished rinsing the plate, dried it, and put it on the rack.

"You never said anything about a large life insurance policy on Sam." he said darkly.

Norma froze. Her heart was racing.  
"I didn't know." she said in a voice that sounded too light and carefree.  
"You didn't know?" he asked.

"I didn't know it was that much." she said.

"A million dollars, Norma." he whispered.

"I didn't know it was that much. I only found out weeks after he died." she hissed. Her eyes were large and scared. She looked over at the boys in the living room.  
"After I shot and killed him." Alex said in a low voice. "Norma, you do realize that a life insurance policy that large would draw suspicion? That and the fact you and I have been spending so much time together."

"No, it was self defense." she insisted. Their voices in hurried whispers now so the boys wouldn't over hear. "It was ruled self defense."

"You don't think they ever reopen cases like that?" Alex questioned.

~ Norma blinked. Her eyes were the color of a dangerous summer rain storm.

"The check." she said through labored breathing. "It was made out to Norman. The adjuster said I couldn't even cash it till he was eighteen and I wouldn't get the money at all. Wouldn't that tell people it wasn't some conspiracy?"

"They would say you knew the amount but not that it was in Norman's name alone." Alex said bitterly.

She was breathing hard. Her chest rising and falling quickly and he was worried she might hyperventilate. His hand quickly trying to steady her arm in case she fainted.  
"That woman at the bank." she said. Her voice low but panicking. "She said it was fine. That it's what people do all the time."

"Rebecca lied to you." Alex said coldly.  
"What am I going to do? I gave her the check. She said that she was opening a trust fund for Norman." she said quickly.

Alex looked behind him. The boys were still playing in the living room. They hadn't heard anything the adults were saying.

"Did you take any money out yet?" he asked.

"No. She said I would be able to withdraw the interest a million dollars earned, but not the principle." Norma recited as if she'd memorized it.

"That's good. That's very good. The money is in a trust for your son earning interest which you won't touch." Alex breathed in relief. "They have less to hold over us."

"Who? Sheriff Wilson? He's your friend. If you just explained-" Norma started.

Alex put his hand around the back of her skull and drew her close. His lips were on her ear and he felt her hands move over his arms.  
"He already knows I didn't kill Sam in self defense." he whispered. "He knows I shot that bastard in cold blood after I'd been drinking all night and decided to come see you. When I found you hurt and all those bruises on your face, I shot an unarmed man because of what he did to you and watched him bleed to death in your kitchen before calling for back up. I was never in danger from Sam. It wasn't self defense."

He pulled away from her and saw the look of paralyzing fear in her eyes now.

"How did you find out about the check?" she asked.

Alex pulled away from her. He didn't want to admit anything about Rebecca to Norma.

"That woman at the bank who you spoke to?" he prompted. "She told me."

"Why? Why would she tell me it was okay?" Norma hissed. Her eyes wide in disbelief.

"It get to me." Alex admitted.  
"To you?" she asked skeptically. "Why you?"

Alex shook his head.  
"Just let me handle it."

"Are you in danger?" she whispered. "Are you in danger because of me?"  
He closed his eyes and tried his best to make the lie sound convincing.

"No. It's going to be fine."

Norma looked back at him critically. Tears were falling from her eyes.

"Why are you lying to me?" she whispered.

Alex was about to lie to her again when the kitchen phone rang.

Neither one of them made a move to answer it. Such a thing would mean surrender to the other party. Like a child's staring contest, they refused to budge. Norma was glaring at him and he refused to break away from her accusing eyes as the phone rang even more sharply to be answered.

"Hello?" Dylan said. They both turned away from each other to see that her oldest son had answered the phone since they'd been too occupied.  
"Oh, hi!" Dylan said happily. "Yes, he's here. He's always here."

Dylan handed the kitchen phone to Alex.  
"The Sheriff wants to talk to you." he said. The little boy was smiling at being especially helpful.

 **Just finished writing a great Normero chapter that will come up soon. Very sexy, but won't be up for at least a week.**

 **I'm also working on another Normero story about Alex's daughter. It's set about twelve years after the events of "Psycho" movie and told entirely from the perspective of a little girl who has no idea she's related to the infamous Norman Bates.**


	34. Chapter 34

34.

~ "You know you never did answer my question." Norma said. She curled up under the covers to get warmer. The cold air of the approaching winter had descended on White Pine Bay that evening.

"You had a question?" Alex asked innocently.

"Yes. I need to know you're going to be alright." she snapped angrily.

"I'll be fine, Norma."

"It feels like this is all my fault." she sighed. "I'm so stupid."

"Don't say that. It's not your fault and you're not stupid."

"But I'm worried now."

"You always worry." he said dryly

"I know, but now I don't want to worry about you getting hurt." she said. She didn't even try to argue the point that she was a worrier.

"Can we talk about something else? Please? Anything else." he asked.

"Fine. So you and this Rebecca woman used to be a thing?" Norma asked. Her bluntness surprising even herself.

She could sense that Alex didn't want to answer. His breathing became louder.  
"I only ask because she warned me away from you." she told him.

"What did she say?" he asked.

"That you see a lot of women. That you mostly stick to the summer girls and I would have been just another notch in the bed post." Norma said lazily.

She rolled over on her stomach to find a more comfortable position in bed. Alex's voice was soothing when it reached her.

"We saw each other for a while." he admitted. "But I wouldn't call it romantic."

"Oh." Norma said sadly.

"It's been over for a while now." he told her. "It was never serious."

"She seemed like she didn't want it to be over." Norma confessed.

"You didn't believe her, did you?"

"About what?"

"Well… that, you would have been…" he stammered.  
"Not really." she confessed.

"Is that why you asked me about things being real?" he asked.

She caught her breath.  
"Yeah." she breathed out. "She spoked me a little."

"Did you believe what she told you about me, or what I told you about us?" he asked. His voice once more demanding the truth.

"What you said. Always."

"Good."

"Alex?"

"Yeah."

"What **is** going on with us? I mean, sometimes it feels like… that there's something there. That we're happy and normal, and then it falls apart. Then it's like we're talking to each other, but we never say anything." Norma told him.

He was silent on the other end of the line. Norma clutched her bedroom phone to her ear and waited for him to answer. She wished for the tenth time that night the Sheriff hadn't called his first Deputy into the station just to sit behind a desk. But it was nice they could talk on the phone and no one would bother them. It felt slightly freeing to talk to him over such a distance. Not to have to see him face to face provided a buffer that meant she could ask whatever she wanted.

"Alex?" she asked when he didn't answer.

"Norma, I've never been in a situation like this. My last serious relationship was when I was in the Marines and the less said about that, the better." he confessed.

"Alright." she said. She rolled over in bed again and was grateful for the voice on the other line in her dark and lonely bedroom.

"But we're not just friends are we?" she asked. She didn't want to sound too much like a high school girl asking if the quarterback was her boyfriend or not.

"No." he said quickly. "No, we're **not** just friends."

"Good." she said.

"But I mean…" he let out a long sigh. "I know you said you didn't want to… that you wanted to be on your own."

"I know." she said. "I do."

"So that… um… I…"

"It's been awhile since I was involved with someone in a serious way to." she admitted sadly. "I mean, I thought I was in love with Sam. I trusted him. Look what happened."

"Yeah." he sighed. His voice was sad. "Look what happened."

"But, um, I'm glad we're not **just** friends." she admitted. She was eager to change the subject. "Even if we've never really kissed."

"Well, who's fault is that?" he asked. His voice humorous.

"Your's."

"How is it my fault?"

"They guy is supposed to be the one to kiss the girl."

"The guy needs to know the girl wants to be kissed first." his voice was low and came over the phone in a conspiratorial way.

Norma felt a giddiness rise up in her. It felt like bubbles were inside her body and they were trying to get out. She was grinning so hard she was sure her face would be sore in the morning.

"Well, I'm sorry we keep missing the opportunity." she said at last. Her voice was a little sad.

"Yeah?" he asked. "Will there be another one?"

"I don't know." she laughed.

She could almost see him smiling from his desk down at the station. See that beautiful smile of his that showed he wasn't made of stone after all.

"But I am sorry I let Norman sleep in the bed with us that night. I know that you expected-"

"You're a mother first." Alex interrupted. "I know that. I knew that going in."

"I wanted to." she admitted.

"I know." he said sadly. "Me to."

"So do you really think it's going to be okay?" she asked.

"Maybe." he said. "Yeah, we're going to be okay," he said. His voice still wanting to make her laugh.

She felt sleepy while listening to him talk. But it was good and comforting to hear the sound of his voice.

"You'd tell me if it was serious. With that stupid check." she asked and tried not to yawn. "Right?"

"You sound tired. I'll let you go." he told her.

"No, I'm fine."

"It's one in the morning and you have work in a few hours."

"Alright. Are you coming over for dinner tonight?"

"I have the evening shift. We're still spread a little thin right now. Half the department is still in another county because of the flooding." he said.

"Oh." she said feeling grumpy.

"But I have the leftovers you gave me."

"Did you put them in the fridge?"

"I put them in the fridge here at the station. I can't promise they'll be here in a few hours when the boys come back from patrol."

"Well, Alex what are you going to eat?" Norma sighed in frustration.

"Relax." he said in a sarcastic voice. "I'm Not-Just-Friends with a very nice lady who likes to cook for me. I doubt I'll starve to death."

That grin was back on her face.

"Damn, I do like to cook for you. I don't know what's wrong with me."

"I don't know what's wrong with you either."

"I just don't want you to be hungry." she insisted.

"You made me eat two helping of meatloaf."

"Well, you're a big guy." she said.

She shook her head at the double entendre.

"Well, I mean big… big and tallish." she stammered. Her face flaming hot in embarrassment.

"Norma, get some sleep. You're tired and it's late." Alex said.

"Fine. I'll let you get to work. What time do you get off?" she said quickly.

"Before dawn." he said.

His next words seemed odd and out of character for him.  
"I… um…I miss the sun." he said with some difficulty.

"Well, it'll be up in a few hours." she told him. "It's not going anywhere."

"I hope not."

"Good night."

"Night."

She heard him click off first and was a little sad to end their talk.

She pulled her covers up to her chin and settled into bed. Her thoughts were happy and content at the idea of Alex. A person in her life who was willing to move at a pace they were both comfortable with. She didn't want a husband, or a boyfriend or lover. Not yet anyway.

' _No, defiantly never a husband again._ ' she decided. But she was glad to have someone who could make her feel safe and comforted again. Maybe that was what was always missing from her life before. She'd never felt contentment like this before she met Alex. But what if it didn't last? What if he wanted her to be more than she was ready to be?

' _No. Alex has been a bachelor for a long time now. He's not looking for anything too serious._ ' she decided.

That was fine with Norma. She liked her world just as it was now and wasn't ready for a change.

~ Alex drove over to Bob Paris' luxurious lake house as soon as he got off work. The maid let him in and escorted him to the study. Alex saw the house was ultra modern and decorated with ugly marine sculptures made from drift wood.  
The rest of the house looked like it was in painful need of more furniture. The floors were done in black tile and everything looked almost too clean and barren. Alex could tell that this place wasn't a real home at all. It was the exact opposite of Norma's home.

"Interesting art work." Romero said once Bob Paris came into the home office. He nodded to a professionally framed piece that looked like something Norman and Dylan had done with finger paints the other day.  
"Nice of you to frame the kids paintings." he said.

"That is a Balani, Alex." Bob Paris said with that always ready political smile. "He's a renowned Italian expressionist."  
"If you say so." Alex shrugged.

Bob looked only mildly insulted.

"How is your special lady friend?" he asked with a knowing tone.

Alex froze and glared at his former friend. He remained silent. Bob Paris always gave himself away and Romero wanted to let him dig his own grave.

"I understand you've been spending a lot of time with her." Paris said casually. "Playing house?"  
"I have people that I see. That's no secret." Alex said.  
"Yeah after you killed the husband you seemed to have become really cozy with the widow." Bob said. "Excuse me, you killed the husband in self defense. But it still doesn't look good that you're spending the night at her place."

Alex blinked.  
"You're having me followed." he said plainly.  
"It's important to know as much as I can about the people I'm going to be working with." Paris told him.

"We're not working together." Alex said. "I know what you're into these days. I know you're old man left you some money and that it was barely enough to break even after you took a hit in the stock market."

Bob Paris' shocked face made Alex very happy, but he kept himself calm.

"Yeah, Bob, I also know you've gotten your feet wet in the drug trade. You're trying to move Nick Ford out. Dangerous move since Nick Ford has been doing this for a long time. He's been civil to law enforcement, makes no waves and leaves no bodies. Well, no innocent bodies."

Bob Paris tried to make his face into the politician's smile again.  
"I also know that your wife left you last year over some sex tapes and they may have involved several young women. That this divorce hurt your image and the sex parties didn't help. You think a seat on the city council will mean you'll write your own rules. Do special favors for people who have your back. I know you want me on your team because you know I'm going to be the next Sheriff and I'll help you keep the DEA away. That I'll just look away from all you shady dealings. And now you think because you've gotten Rebecca Hamilton to lie to a widow with two kids about her finances that it means I'm going to roll over for you and do what you want." Alex said.

"Alex, things could be a lot better for you with me." Bob said with the political grin. "Your dad had the right idea you know. He worked with us. He made good money that I'm sure even you don't know about. You come over to my side and you could have a good life to. You could be with that Bates woman and her problems with that insurance check will go away."

"If I don't?" Alex asked.

"Then the exact opposite will happen." Bob shrugged. "The insurance company will investigate why she attempted to cash that check, and put it into an illegal account, and maybe that justifiable shooting will be investigated to."

The deputy leaned in closer to the man he had known since childhood.  
"You think you can intimidate me, Bob?" Alex asked in a cold voice. "Because I've looked into it."

Bob looked nervous and Alex snack his teeth in deeper.  
"Yeah, what Rebecca Hamilton did was grossly illegal. A buddy of mine at the FBI has been alerted to the possible banking fraud she perpetrated. One word from me, and a swarm of agents will surround that bank. All of them talking to Rebecca about that check she convinced a poor widow with two kids to hand over for a trust fund for her youngest son. How long do you think your girl will last once the threat of prison comes up? Hugh? How long before she sells you out?" Alex said in a dark voice he wasn't sure was his own.

"How much money did Rebecca launder for you last fiscal year?" Alex asked. "I'd pack a bag and get out of town if I were you. The DEA is will be all over those books and who know what they'll find."

"Yes." Bob Paris said with that stupid grin of his. "Who knows what names are in those books."

Alex was taken aback by the sudden change in the politician's attitude. Bob Paris wasn't afraid at all.

"You think I'd call you here if this was all I had?" Paris laughed. "Think you know how deep this all goes? You have no idea, Alex. You have no clue who's going down with me."

"Norma Bates had nothing to do with your drug trade. Leave her alone." Alex snarled.  
"Who's to say what Norma Bates was involved in before you met her." Bob Paris shrugged. "But there might be some interesting names in Rebecca Hamilton's ledgers. Names you wouldn't want tarnished. Especially since you're the hero of White Pine Bay and will be stepping in as our new Sheriff."

"I'm going to burn you alive and enjoy it." Alex said bitterly.

"Sound just like your old man." Bob laughed. "In fact, if and when the DEA seizes those ledgers, I'm sure they'll be knocking on your door to ask you all about him."

 **I got a question from a reader about how long this story will be. In truth, I have no idea. I'm just along for the ride and I'm making it up as I go. My only end goal is happy Normero family. It's going to be a long journey and I'm going to have the boys grow up in this story.**

 **There will also be more about the house and motel in future chapters. About it's sordid history in the town and possible ghost story. There will be more about Alex's past as well as some sexy Normero love time.**

 **I will have to change the rating on this story in about a week because it will have erotica in it. Fair warning if you don't like to read that kind of thing.**

 **But this story is meant to take place over years of Norma and Alex's life.**


	35. Chapter 35

35.

~ Little Norman was extremely fussy for the drive from White Pine Bay to Portland. He never did very well on long car rides and today, with the gloomy weather, was no exception.

"Norman, honey, it's going to be okay." his mother called to him from her place behind the steering wheel.

She looked back at her son from the rearview mirror and saw he didn't seem like his normal self. He had reverted back to chewing on his hands and had an angry scowl over his normally sweet face.

It had been a hellish morning for Norma. She had woken the boys up for school and found Norman had been unresponsive again. His eyes were open but he couldn't seem to wake up. When she finally made her son snap back to life he wasn't quite right. He wasn't the happy baby she'd always known.

In near panic, she'd drop Dylan off at school and took Norman to see his pediatrician. He had mercifully seen the child right away and then immediately made a call to a specialist in Portland.

Norma was told this specialist, a Doctor Greggs, was the best children's doctor in the state and her son would need all kinds of tests performed. She'd never driven to Portland before and didn't know the city. It was easy to get lost based on the vague directions to the children hospital she was given. Eventually, just before noon, Norma pulled the old girl into the parking lot of the massive children's center.

Norman was still fussy when she checked in. Maybe he just sensed her worry, but he hadn't spoken since last night. He had slowly stopped using his words since the car accident a few days ago.

"Look, honey." Norma said when she was directed to the waiting room after all her information was taken, "They have toys to play with."

She tried to engage her son to play with the standard toys found in all waiting rooms for children, but Norman wasn't in the mood. He looked around at the other kids in the waiting room, his face turning into a scowl again at the idea he had to be around other children.

"Come and sit with me." Norma said gently to her youngest.

Norman didn't like that idea either. He moved away from her and refused to look back. He didn't want to play with the toys, engage with anyone or even respond to his mother.

"Honey, come sit on my lap." Norma coached him gently.

"Boo!" came a shout from right beside her.

Norma jumped and her hand fluttered to her chest. She'd been so focused on her own child she didn't see the little girl with thick, curly brown hair sneaking up on her.

"Oh! You scared me!" Norma said brightly when she saw the girl for the first time.

The little girl was about Norman's age. Her eyes were unusually large and reminded Norma of a lost puppy who wanted a home.  
"Hello, there." Norma said to the new child.

"Hi." the girl said with a bright smile. Her large brown eyes were fixed on only on Norma.  
Norma glanced at her son, but he still refused to look back at her.

"My name is Mrs. Bates." Norma said to the little girl. Her voice taking on the tone she always used when talking to children that were not her own.  
"What's your name?" Norma asked.

The little girl hopped up and down excitedly.

"Emma." she said and, without further comment, she climbed on Norma's lap.

"Oh. Wait. Honey." Norma tried to argue but the girl was too fast.

She had quickly situated herself on Norma's lap as though she'd always done such a thing.

"Okay." Norma said cooly. She looked around the waiting room for the girl's mother, but saw that all the other children were matched with a parent. No one was looking for this little girl at all.

"Where's your mommy at?" Norma asked the girl. She kept looking around the waiting room for the person Emma belonged to, and saw no one. The last thing she needed right now was an angry mother trying to accuse her of stealing her child.

"No-No." Emma told her without the slightest trace of understanding.  
"Who's with you?" Norma asked. "Who came here with you?"

Emma only looked up at her and grinned. Her cute, little baby teeth were perfectly strait.

Norma smiled back and couldn't stop herself from brushing back the girl's hair from her face. Emma had a delicious amount of curly brown hair that felt soft as silk between Norma's fingers.  
"You have the prettiest hair I've ever seen." Norma told the girl sincerely.

"Yeah." Emma agreed happily.

"Yeah." Norma repeated with her own smile. "I tell you what, I'll stay here with you until you mommy shows up. Does that sound like a plan?"

Emma was nodding but Norma knew the little girl didn't really understand.

Norma pointed to her son.  
"That's my little boy, Norman. He's not feeling well. Maybe you'd like to play with him." she offered the girl.

Emma barely glanced at Norman and immediately her small arms were around Norma's chest in a fierce hug.

"Oh!" Norma said in surprise. "That's a good hug! I needed a good hug today, thank you." she laughed.

Emma grinned again as though she'd done something truly wonderful.

"Emma!" snapped a curt voice from the lobby.

Norma and the girl looked up from each other to see a balding man walking towards them. His face lined with worry.  
"Emma, get over here. What are you doing?" the man asked in an English accent that was riddled with sleepless nights and bad news about his child.

"She's okay." Norma said quickly. "She was just sitting with me."

The man looked at her distrustfully before, with gentle paternal hands, he plucked the brown eyed girl from Norma's lap.

"I'm sorry she was troubling you, madam." he said easily swinging Emma onto his hip. It was a practiced move and Norma knew he was efficient in looking after the little girl. "I was talking on the phone to my wife and she got away from me for a moment."

"It's no trouble." Norma said and stood up. She almost hated to see the little girl leave her. She'd always wanted a daughter and for a wild second, she actually pretended that Emma was her very own.  
"She's a little sweetheart." Norma said honestly. "She actually made me feel better about my rotten day."

"Well, that's good to hear." the man said. "We best be getting on then. Say good bye to the nice lady, Emma." he coached the little girl.

"Bye-Bye!" Emma called out happily.

Norma wanted to laugh and cry at the sweet face with the big brown eyes looking back at her.

She waved to Emma and smiled at her. Her heart aching to hold the little girl once more.

~ "Since the car accident there has been moments where your son is unresponsive?" Doctor Greggs asked.

Norma had watched the doctor give her son a basic exam and saw the boy had grown even more cranky.

"Yes. I thought he was just sleeping with his eyes open." Norma explained. "I mean, that could still be it, right? He's only cranky now because he missed nap time and he hasn't eaten yet."

"He was given an exam at the emergency room?" the doctor asked.  
"Yes. I didn't see the exam because I was in the accident to." she said.

Her heart was beating fast. Why wasn't this doctor telling her Norman was going to be alright?

"We need to admit him." the doctor said firmly. "For tests and observation."

"Admit him?" Norma questioned. "But it might not be that serious. I mean, he's just sleeping with his eyes open."

"You said you had trouble waking him this morning." the doctor pointed out.

Norma wanted to argue but couldn't find a way to lie about something so scary.

"Yes." she admitted sadly. "Yes, but… but he woke up after a few minutes."

"I need to run some tests to make sure there wasn't any neurological damage from the accident. We need to keep him under a seventy-two hour observation." the doctor said.

"Three days?" Norma questioned. "No, I… I've, he's never been separated from me for that long."

She made to grab her son but Doctor Greggs, a gentle man in his early fifties took her hands in his.

"Mrs. Bates, if this was the child of someone you cared about, what would do? Would you want them to be properly diagnosed? Would you tell your loved one that the doctors and nurses here are the best in the state and will help this child?" he asked in a soft and knowledgeable voice.

Norma felt raw, naked panic at the idea of her baby being in a hospital for three days. Her heart and mind in intense battle and she hated herself for Norman being hurt and her not knowing until days later.  
"I want him to be checked out." she admitted. "But that's so long. I didn't even bring a change of clothes or his little dog."

"We have a hospital gown for him to wear and plenty of toys for him." the doctor said soothingly.

"But, no. No, Norman's never ben away from home that long. He hasn't even eaten lunch. I'm sure once he's eaten lunch he'll be fine." Norma said. It felt like she was bargaining now. She should have just tried to fix Norman's issues on her own instead of coming here. What if it's something serious now?

"If that's all that it is, then that's great." Doctor Greggs said. "But you and your son were in a serious car accident. We can't rule out the possibility of brain damage."  
"Brain Damage?" Norma said weakly.

~ Alex was asleep when his home phone gave off that shrill, irritating ring that jarred him awake.

He groaned and rolled over. His day hadn't been good ether. After his sudden night shift, that interrupted a pleasant evening with Norma and the boys, he'd made the mistake of visiting Bob Paris. His former childhood friend hadn't changed much. He was still arrogant and manipulative beyond words.

What made things worse was bringing in Norma. Of trying to use her as leverage so that Bob could get Alex to sell out his position as Sheriff once Wilson left.

As for this other thing Bob threatened he had on Alex, ledgers Rebecca possessed that pointed to his father, Alex wasn't too worried. After all, he'd never embezzled money or had anything to do with drug ring profits.

All the same, it took slightly too much alcohol for Alex to be able to go to sleep before his evening shift. He couldn't get his mind to stop working without the aide of something from the liquor cabinet.

His head hurt and he was sweating when he answered his phone next to his bed.  
"What?" he croaked into the receiver.

Her voice reached out to him like a ghost.

"Alex." she said in a half sob.

"Norma?" he asked. He wasn't awake yet and couldn't summon the strength to even sit up. "What's wrong? What's happened?"

"I… it's Norman." she said with difficulty. "He's at the children's hospital in Portland."

Alex sat up quickly in response to this news.

"Is he okay? What happened?" he demanded.

"He's okay right now. The doctor looked him over." she insisted. "This morning I couldn't wake him up. He's been having… these little episodes. Since the accident, it's like he's been sleeping with his eyes open. Like he's in a trance."

Alex stood up, felt slightly dizzy and had to sit back down on the bed again.

"What did the doctor say?" he asked once he'd regained his sense of balance again.

"They want to keep him for three days! They have to run tests and observe him." she said with an impatient, worried voice.

Romero laid back down in bed. His head was pounding and he felt awful.

"I'm sure it's nothing, Norma. They checked him out at the emergency room after the crash. He was fine." he said.

"Yeah, but what if it's something? The doctor said it might be brain damage." she argued quickly.

Alex closed his eyes. He was too hung over to think of the right thing to say.

"You did the right thing by taking him to the doctor. Once all the tests are done, they're going to say there's nothing wrong with him. Just think positive."

"But he was sleeping with his eyes open." Norma insisted.

"Well, kids are weird sometimes. They do strange stuff."

She was quite for a long time over the phone. Alex could hear the sounds of the hospital she was in. Calls over the intercom and the background of people talking. He pictured her calling from a phone bank. Her face worried as always when it came to her children.  
"Norma?" he called out to her.  
"I'm here."

"It's going to be okay. Norman's going to be fine."

"You can't know that." she said stubbornly.

"Then how come I do know that?"

She was quite for a moment before her voice echoed back to him.  
"Alex?"

"Yeah?"

"Will you talk to me for a little while?"

"About what?"

"Anything, I don't care. I just want to hear your voice before I have to drive back home alone." she said.

Alex took a deep breath. He didn't have the first clue what to talk to her about. He was laying in bed again, trying to sober up from last night. His world still feeling dizzy.

"I went to see a guy I used to be friends with when we were younger." he said for lack of anything else to say. "He's got the most horrible taste in art I've ever seen."

"Oh yeah?" Norma asked.

"He's got these sculptures in his house and it's just really creepy to see things like fish made out of drift wood like that." he said. "He also had this framed piece of artwork by some famous artist; it looks like something the boys would have done with finger paints."

Norma laughed a little.

"Only the boys would have done a better job." Alex added. "Maybe we can sell their artwork."

"Maybe." Normal said sadly.  
Alex looked at his bedside clock. It was almost three in the afternoon. His shift at work would be starting in a few hours.

"Did you need me to pick Dylan up?" he offered.

"No, he's in an after school program." Norma told him. "I'm about to leave and I'll be home in plenty of time to get him."

"Okay." Alex said gently.  
"Thank you." she said. "For talking to me."

"I didn't do anything special."

"Yes you did. I just feel… I can't explain it, but I feel a lot calmer when I'm around you." she sighed.

Alex felt his headache lighten slightly.

"It's like you have magical powers or something." she admitted.  
"I **do** have magical powers." Alex said. Maybe he was still a little buzzed from last night, but he couldn't resist the urge to tease her. "I'm actually a unicorn."

"What?" she questioned in disbelief. "Wait, what did you say?"

"I didn't say anything."

"No, you did!" there was laughter in her voice wanting to come out. "You said you were a unicorn."

"I don't know what you're talking about." he told her in a tone of indifferent denial.

"You did!" she giggled.

"You're talking crazy right now."

"Alex!" she cried and he could hear the happiness return to her voice. He instantly felt his body lighten at the way she said his name.

"You're always teasing me." she told him in a more serine tone. Her voice more relaxed now than when she first called him.

"Can't help it." he admitted.

"The thing with the check? Should I be worried?"

"No. It's taken care of." Alex said carelessly.

"So you're not going to be in trouble?" she asked.

"No. It took care of it."

He felt she wanted to ask him more questions.

"Please don't ask me about it again, Norma." he said gently.

"Okay." she whispered. "You have to work tonight?" she asked instead.

"Yeah, patrol. If you want, I'll come check on you and the boys." he offered.

"That'd be nice."

"Do you want me to try to take the day off when you pick up Norman?" he asked.

"No." she said quickly. "I'm sure you're right. I'm sure they're just being overly cautious."

"You noticed something wasn't right pretty fast. I'm sure that made a difference to." he offered.

"I hope so."

"Nothing gets by you."

"No, it doesn't." she agreed.

She let out a long sigh.

"I should start the drive back. I just wanted to hear your voice before I left." she said.

"Glad I could help." he said. Although he wasn't sure what he did exactly.

"Unicorn." she huffed. "That's so…"

"I still don't know what you're talking about." he said casually. "You just imagine stuff."

"Oh, okay, I need to go." she said with laughter wanting to escape from her again.

"See you soon." he agreed.

 **Sorry for the late post. I had an extra busy day today. Hair appointment at 10am. Then hubby and I had our portraits done for our 15 year wedding anniversary at 1pm. Then we went to lunch. Then, 3:30pm, I had my eyes dilated at the eye doctors. Turns out it leaves you partially blind for several hours! Hubby had to drive me home and walk me through the door because I couldn't see. Then, at 6pm, I had my tattoo touched for the 3rd and final time. I love it, but take some free advice: don't get a tattoo on your foot. It's super easy to get infected and hurts like a mother fucker when it does.**

 **Hope you enjoy the chapter! I'm working on more sexy Normero chapters right now.**


	36. Chapter 36

36.

~ Romero had every intention of visiting Norma that evening, but things never go as planned in White Pine Bay.

"What was your daughter wearing when she disappeared?" Alex asked Sherry Harper.

The worried mother of three wiped her face dry and took a moment to think.  
"What she always wears. Jeans and a blue shirt with a panda on it. She got it when we went to the zoo last year. It's her favorite shirt. I always make sure to wash it for her first thing." Mrs. Harper said and tried not to cry again.  
"How old is she again?" Romero asked.

Other police officers were looking over the house while he was taking the statement from the parents. The three of them were huddled in the living room of the working class home. A home that, like Norma Bate's home, was clean, inviting and comfortable. Evidence of a well cared for little girl with brown hair and glasses were littered all over the house. From art work on the fridge, to Disney movies in the VHS boxes on the bookshelf. Even the child's rain boots, red swampers with ladybugs on them, sat in the foyer as if expecting the girl to come home any second.

The missing girl's father answered for his wife who couldn't hold back tears.

"Gemma is eight. She's in the second grade now, but she's been the advanced class since last year. She's very smart. She started reading when she was only five. She's a good girl, to. Always does what she's told. She knows to come home as soon as it gets dark and today, she never did." Mr. Harper told Romero.  
"Did you call her friends? Kids might have lost track of the time if they were playing." Alex offered.

Both parents shook their heads.

"No, I know all her friends and I have their numbers." the girls mother insisted. "And Gemma knows better than to not call us. She's a good girl, Deputy. She's really very well behaved."

"I know she is." Romero agreed sadly.

Alex looked at the recent school picture of the missing girl her parents gave him. She was a plain little creature with oversized glasses that were probably made for an old lady. It was unfortunate how they obscured her small face. Gemma smiled back at him from her photo with a crooked overbite. Her naturally curly brown hair was pinned back in a pony tail revealing large ears. But all her oddities would no doubt change over time. Her glasses, teeth and hair were temporary hindrances to her looks. Gemma Harper was the kind of little girl who looked funny today, but would become a stunning young woman tomorrow.

He scribbled some notes before asking the harder questions.

"Is there any custody disputes in progress? Relatives or caregivers who might have taken your daughter? Anything like that?" he asked.

"What? Why would anyone think they have custody of Gemma?" Mrs. Harper questioned. "We're her parents."

"We just need to explore all possibilities." Romero said in his always trusted stoic voice.

"You have to find our daughter, Deputy." Mr. Harper insisted while his wife dissolved into tears again. His own voice was breaking apart now as he tried to bargain for his daughter to come back. "She's an only child. We… we **need** her to come home. She just needs to come home so… so we know she's safe."

"We're not mad at her." Mrs. Harper said once she'd composed herself. "If she thinks she's in trouble for not calling us, she's not. You make sure she knows that. We just want her to come home."

Alex nodded.

"We're doing everything we can." he said.

A horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach made him think there was nothing that could be done for Gemma Harper now.

~ Norma woke up early for work. She called the hospital to check on Norman and the nurse even let her talk to her youngest child, her little boy seemed happier today. He told her, in his own broken words of a three year old, that he wanted to come home.

"Soon. Really soon, honey." Norma promised.

If she didn't have to go to work, she would have been there for him all day. But she was still having money troubles and couldn't afford to miss another day.

"Is Norman still sick?" Dylan asked.

"We don't know if he's sick or not." Norma told her oldest.

She was getting him ready for school and her mind was so occupied by Norman's medical problems, she had completely forgotten Alex had never come by last night. It wasn't until the sight of his SUV pulling up that she remembered him at all.

She was about to leave the house when Alex stepped down from his patrol SUV and walked up to meet mother and son.  
"How's Norman?" he asked.

Norma saw that his face looked especially drawn and worried. He seemed nervous and his eyes were sadder than usual.

"He sounded a lot better when I talked to him this morning." Norma offered after she looked the Deputy over.

"That's good." Alex agreed.

"Are you okay?" she asked suspiciously. She felt something might be wrong with him and it made her uneasy.

Alex looked away.

"I need to talk to you and Dylan for a second." he said soberly.

~ Norma sat down at her kitchen table with Alex and Dylan.

"Sorry I didn't call or come by last night." Alex said quickly.  
"It's okay." Norma said. "Do you need some coffee or something? I can make you something to eat."

"No, it's fine." he shook his head.

Alex looked at Norma's oldest.

"Dylan, do you know a girl named Gemma Harper? She's two grades ahead of you, but she's in your advanced class." he asked. He pulled out a school picture of a rather plain girl with big glasses.

"Yeah." Dylan said eagerly. "She's really weird. She likes lizards. Girls aren't supposed to like lizards."

"Do you know if anyone, was scaring her? Did she ever talk to you about people she didn't like?" Romero asked.

"Alex, what happened?" Norma asked. Something was wrong. Very wrong.

Romero shook his head.

"Anyone in your advanced class make you or Gemma feel uncomfortable?" he asked.

Dylan shook his head.  
"No. Everyone likes Gemma, sometimes the mean girls laugh at her." the little boy said.

"Who are the mean girls?" Alex asked.

"The fourth grade girls. They're really mean and Gemma wishes they weren't. But we don't see them because they aren't in the advanced class." Dylan explained. "Is Gemma okay?"

Alex didn't answer at first. Norma looked him over again. Saw his jaw working back and forth from clenched teeth.  
"No, Dylan." he said carefully. His voice grave and his words coming out slowly. "Gemma Harper never came home last night."

~ Alex knew Norma would be upset. He didn't want to compound her problems with her youngest with the news that a little girl was missing from Dylan's school.

"God, Alex. It's so scary." she breathed once they were done talking in the kitchen. The two of them stood outside on her porch. It was a wet morning, rain was hovering over them in thick grey storm clouds.

Dylan didn't know the names of the 'mean girls' and couldn't think of any adults who would want to hurt Gemma. The fact was, Gemma Harper just didn't seem the type of girl who would go missing. She was smart enough to know not to talk to strangers, and there didn't seem to be any domestic problems in the family. Her natural parents were still married and they both doted on the only child, giving her their full attention in all things. A girl like Gemma was the least likely child to just vanish.

"Most of the time, in these situations, it's a custody dispute." Alex said reassuringly.

"Do you think that's what it is?" Norma asked skeptically. Her upper lip going into a sneer of doubt at the idea that it was so simple.

"No." Alex admitted bitterly. "Make sure Dylan stays in the house when the two of you get home today, okay?"

"Okay." Norma agreed quickly. She looked back at him hopefully and nodded in agreement.  
"In the house with the doors locked. No playing outside, not even in the back yard." Alex reminded her. He was a little surprised she hadn't argued against his orders. It was always her way to be combative with him, or anyone else; about everything.  
"Yes. We're going to stay in the house. I promise." she said submissively.

"Good."

Perhaps it was the feeling that he'd won an argument with her for the first time ever, but Alex decided it was time to celebrate the victory. As if he'd done it a thousand times before, he leaned over and kissed her. He could feel how soft and delightfully defiant her lips were at being kissed without warning.

He made their first kiss efficient and without the passion or promise of something more. Perhaps it was how quickly it was over and not the kiss itself that made Norma look so surprised. Her eyes were wide and were the color of a clear summer sky when he pulled away.

"I'll come by tonight." he said matter of factly. She nodded and didn't appear to be angry, just slightly taken off guard.

He leaned down and kissed her again, just to remind her he'd won this round, and felt her lips give into him a little easier. When he pulled away, she still looked shocked and embarrassed.  
"Alright?" he asked.

She nodded quickly.  
"Yeah." she said. Pretending as if nothing too important had happened.  
"See you tonight." he said and turned to go. He waved to Dylan who was already waiting in the car. Dylan waved back and Romero climbed back into his SUV and started the engine. Alex's own lips felt strangely energetic from finally kissing the sun.

~ All anyone in town talked about was Gemma Harper's disappearance. The school had a mandatory meeting about stranger danger, and Sheriff Wilson even held a press conference about parents keeping their children indoors. The little girl had just vanished from her own neighborhood and no one knew what happened to her.

Search dogs were brought out to go over the places she was known to go. Sheriff Wilson and Deputy Romero were pessimistic about finding Gemma Harper alive and well.

"Stranger things have happened." Alex commented. He was driving Sheriff Wilson from the court house where he'd just given the press conference. "It might be that she's perfectly safe and hiding at a friends house. Maybe she thought it would be a good prank on her parents and now she's scared to come home."

"If that's all there is to this, I'll be a happy man, Alex." Wilson grumbled darkly. "But we both know how this is likely to end."

"We can't think like that Sheriff." Romero shook his head.

Wilson looked at his Deputy as if he'd suddenly sprouted an extra head.  
"What?" Romero asked.

"Since when did Alex Romero become so optimistic?" Wilson asked.

Alex refused to answer. He knew perfectly well why he wasn't his normal grumpy self this morning.

"I was just glad to see the sun this morning." Alex sighed.

"It was cloudy and over cast this morning." Wilson said accusingly.

"Sheriff, we were talking about finding this girl." Romero said wanting to change the subject.

"Well, as I was saying, we can hope for the best, but we need to plan for the worst." Wilson said. "It's very likely that Gemma Harper isn't going to be found alive at a friend's house. Was the parent's home secure?"

"Yes. I spoke to them for over an hour while crime scene went through the bedrooms looking for any evidence of foul play." Alex admitted sadly. He hated to be apart of the diversion that allowed other Sheriff's deputies to basically sneak around the home of a missing child and look for anything that might indicate the parents in her disappearance.

"We always look at the parents first." Wilson said as if reading Alex's thoughts. "In cases like these, it's almost always someone the child knows intimately. Someone they trust not to hurt them. We can't just ignore the parents."

"I know but I don't see it in them." Alex confessed. "I've met violent murders, Tom. I've looked them right in the eyes. They always blame everyone else for what they did. They don't feel sorry for their victim, they're only sorry they got caught. In the beginning, they love the attention the police give them while investigating. Love to help us as much as they can. I didn't get that from the Harper's at all. They just want her back. I mean, it was like they needed her back home."

Wilson looked skeptical.

"And they never spoke about Gemma in the past tense either. Murders use past tense even if their victim hasn't been found, or has just died. Innocent people never accept death that quickly." Alex pointed out.

"I hope it's not the parents." Wilson agreed. "But it's apart of our job isn't it?"

"Yeah." Alex agreed soberly.

"We'll need to interview her teachers and friends." Wilson said.  
"I already talked to one of her classmates." Alex said. "Norma Bates's son Dylan is in the same advanced class. He knows her a little and didn't think anyone was bothering her. I mean, aside from bullying classmates."

"Probably because she's one of the smart kids." Wilson said. "If Dylan is in the brainiac class, you'll need to teach him to fight, Alex."

"I'm sure Norma would love that." Romero said sarcastically.

"Well, it's an important skill for a boy to learn." Wilson told him. "How is Norma anyway?"

"Her son is in the hospital in Portland under a three day observation." Alex said. Wilson looked upset. "Some kind of sleeping problem since the accident. I think she worries too much, but you never know. Hopefully it's nothing and she just over reacted." Romero said.

"Well, hopefully that's all it is." Wilson agreed. "I've raised three kids of my own and it's a mother's job to over react if she thinks there's something wrong with her child."

"I know. I've just…" Alex let out a long sigh. "I've never been involved with a single mother before. It's a bit of a learning curve."

"Very true." Wilson agreed.

"Sheriff, we haven't had a child go missing for twenty years now." Alex said changing the subject. "I mean, drug dealers, adulterers, con men, sure. But a little girl from a working class household? Who's parents aren't associated with any of the families, or drug trade"

He drove to Gemma Harpers neighborhood where search and cadaver dogs were going from house to house.

"Yeah that unpleasant business at the old Summers house. I read the file a while back about the last kids who supposedly vanished." Wilson said. "Your dad worked that case. You knew one of the victims personally, didn't you?"

Alex nodded and watched the dogs hunting for a girl that was most likely dead.

"Yeah, I knew Brian. He was the oldest. We were in the same grade. He was nice." Romero admitted.

"Terrible thing." Wilson sighed. "How a mother could do that to her own children. Poison them. Force each one of them to drink drain cleaner. Then, burry their bodies in the basement and call them in as missing persons."

"Joyce Summers enjoyed the attention." Alex said bitterly. "She had a lot of people fooled."

"How old were you when it happened?" Wilson asked.

"I was Gemma Harper's age." Alex said softly.

He remembered the case very well. Remembered how Joyce Summers had claimed she woke up and her house had been broken into while she slept. All her children were missing from their beds. The Old Bear Romero hadn't believed her for a second. But he had been smart enough to pretend to go along. To listen to her. Pretend to feel sorry for her. To feed the woman's need for attention from police and neighbors. Giving her just enough rope to hang herself with.

Hang herself she did, and confessed through tears that her children were dead. His father helped pull five body bags out of the basement floor of the old Queen Anne style home on the highway. The guests at the motel below were shocked at seeing the police lights and the horrific sight of small body bags being wheeled out. The local paper taking pictures as the Sheriff and his men were forced to take each child's body down the long, concrete steps to the waiting coroner van below.

Alex grew up with the horror stories the other kids at school told him about Joyce Summers' haunted house. That the ghosts of the Summers children were there in the basement. It had been a terrific dare to sneak into the Summers house and especially the basement to try and summon the spirits.

The Old Bear got tired of being called by the family whenever teenagers decided to go ghost hunting. He'd arrest anyone who trespassed on the property after a while.

Soon, the once grand old house became the eye sore it was now. It's exterior paint was washed out from too many winters and summers of neglect. The trees and gardens were all dead. It looked every bit the haunted house Romero was sure it was.

"Yeah, Joyce Summers was Keith Summers aunt, right?" Wilson asked.  
Alex nodded.

"Yeah, but no one lived in the old house after the murders." Alex explained. Romero couldn't shake the idea of those five children might still be haunting the beautiful old Queen Anne. He still believed what he'd heard in the fourth grade; from the bigger kids who sneaked into the house at night. The children's eyes glowed in the dark, and they wanted visitors to come to the basement with them.

"Joyce Summers killed herself in prison, right?" Wilson asked.

Alex nodded.

"She used bedsheets from her cell." he said.

"I only bring it up because your dad knew then that we can't overlook anyone just because we don't want to believe they're capable of something so awful." Wilson said. "No one wanted to believe Joyce Summers killed her five children. She was thought to be a good mother from a well to do family and she loved her children. No, they wanted to believe some intruder or motel guest came into the house and kidnapped the innocent while they slept. No one wanted to believe she buried them in her basement either. She said she put them there so that they would always be with her. No one wanted to believe any mother would do such a thing, but murder them she did. She brought them, one bye one, to the kitchen and forced them to drink drain cleaner. One after another without a second thought. So even if you don't want to believe the parents had anything to do with this disappearance, you have to suspect them. Everyone has it in them to destroy the thing they love the most, Alex. Never forget that."

 **Yes. The Queen Anne house is the Psycho house. I wanted it to be a scary house with a sordid history in this story. The glowing eyed children in the basement is from "The** **Conjuring 2". I love creepy ghost children!**


	37. Chapter 37

37.

~ Norma was glad to see her son when she picked him up from school. She decided to leave work early so he wouldn't have to go to the after school program. All the news coverage of Gemma Harper had scared her. She just wanted to have Dylan home safe with her. She'd called up to the hospital in Portland to check on Norman during her lunch hour. The nurses had told her how well he was doing. That he'd been very well behaved for all the tests. When they put her youngest on the phone, he seemed his normal self again.

"I'll be there in a few days honey." she promised.

She wanted her baby back home more than she could stand. Her life felt oddly empty without him in it. If felt like she had no purpose anymore. She'd never been separated from him for so long and she knew Norman must feel just as empty without her.

When she and Dylan arrived home, she called the hospital again. The nurse said Norman was engaged in another round of tests but that he was doing fine.

"Okay, can you call me if there is any change? Wake me up in the middle of the night if you have to. It's fine." she told the charge nurse.

"We will, Mrs. Bates." the nurse said brightly.

She hung up the phone just as Alex Romero's SUV pulled up in her driveway.

She wasn't at all surprised to see him. She felt a little guilty for thinking about that kiss this morning instead of worrying about Norman or the missing Harper girl. Everyone else in town was scared and upset over the news of a kidnaped child, but Norma had been distracted by the memory of Alex and her on the front porch. It had been difficult to not smile when she thought about it.

"Deputy Romero!" Dylan called out happily and let Alex into the house.

Norma peered over to her living room and saw that he didn't arrive empty handed.  
"I brought pizza." he explained holding up the two large boxes for her to see. "Figured you could use a night off from cooking."

~ It ended up being a lovely night in with the three of them playing an old board game. Norma quickly lost to her son and Deputy Romero's ruthless desire to win.  
"You're too polite." Alex accused her playfully.  
"Maybe." she agreed. "Any news about the girl?"

Alex looked at Dylan.

"Hey, Buddy." he said. "I rented us a movie to watch, I know you're better at setting up the VCR than me. Want to get it ready?" *

"Okay." Dylan said eager to impress Romero. He rushed out of the kitchen and into the living room.

Alex made sure Dylan was out of ear shot before he talked to Norma.

"Nothing." he whispered. "Cadaver dogs have been brought in."

Her eyes were wide at this news.

"You think she's dead?" Norma whispered.

"I hope she's not, but it's been twenty-four hours now."

"Do you have any suspects? Please tell me it wasn't just some random person." Norma breathed.

"In my opinion, the parents seem unlikely. We still have to consider them of course." Alex explained. The memory of Joyce Summers and those children buried in her basement came rushing back to his mind.

He looked at Norma, her expression concerned, but trusting of him. He got the same feeling from her that he had around Gemma Harper's mother. Both of them were women who could never hurt their child. Who would rather die themselves before any harm came to their offspring.

"How's Norman?" Alex asked. "I didn't ask first thing, I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay. The nurses told me before you came over that he's doing very well. I called at lunch and talked to him." she said sadly. "He wants to come home."

Alex saw she was depressed at being away from her youngest.

"It's harder on you than it is on him." he told her.

"Well, he's in a strange place with people he doesn't know. Being tested for who knows what." Norma said not bothering to hide her annoyance. "If I didn't have to work I would be there with him."

"I know." Alex said quickly.

"It's just so frustrating." she confessed. "If something is wrong with him, I don't know how to fix it. I don't know how to make it better."

"You made sure he's getting the right kind of help." Alex said. "Remember what happened with Dylan and Shelby? You didn't just ignore it, or try to fix it on your own, you made sure your kid got help from people who could do something."

Norma looked back up at him. Her face showing she wasn't convinced.

"You're a good mother." he whispered. "Trust me on that."

"Jurassic Park!" Dylan shouted from the living room.

Norma's eyes widened and Alex sensed she was mad at him.  
"Jurassic Park?" she questioned in a judgmental tone.

"What? What's wrong with that? He likes dinosaurs." Romero asked innocently.

"It's too scary, Alex."

"It's not that scary."

"Yes, it is. I read the dinosaurs in that movie are too realistic."

"Wait, this isn't the movie with the purple dinosaur that sings?"

"Alex! You know this is too scary for Dylan. He's only six years old." she hissed.

"Well, I'll make sure he knows dinosaurs aren't real." Alex said plainly. "That they're make-believe."

Norma looked so annoyed at this he couldn't hold back a smirk. He started to put the pieces to their board game up so he would't be tempted to laugh.

"He'll be fine." Alex said at last. "I promise."

"Okay, if he wakes up in the middle of the night with nightmares, I'm going to blame you." she said. "If I'm not getting to sleep neither will you."

"Promises, promises, Mrs. Bates." Alex sighed.

He didn't wait this time for her to fire back at him. Didn't wait for her to roll her eyes or even be annoyed with him. He leaned close to her and kissed her lips just like he'd done that morning. Her mouth felt warm and perfect on his and when he pulled away, he saw her features looked softer. The worry lines over her brow had vanished.

"Lets go watch the movie." he said with a nod to the living room.

~ Norma had to confess it was a good movie. Dylan didn't seem at all bothered by the dinosaurs attacking children. Instead he thought the whole thing was pretty cool.

"If you like that, you're gonna love Star Wars." Alex told him when the movie ended.

Norma secretly hated the movie coming to an end. She and Alex had gotten slightly too comfortable on the couch and somehow she'd wound up resting her head on his chest. She didn't remember his arm going around her, but she found that that's exactly what happened. His arm was around her shoulders, his fingers locking with hers and they were far too cozy when the credits started to roll. Norma could have gone to sleep, she'd been so comfortable.

As soon as the movie ended, Norma shifted herself away from him before Dylan saw. He'd been so enamored with the movie, that he hadn't seen them together.

"Yeah, we can watch Star Wars." Dylan said happily. "Tomorrow night!"

"Alex, that movie might…" Norma couldn't resist the urge to worry about her son being afraid of it.

Romero turned to her and, feeling that her fears were silly, she refused to finish what she was saying.  
"We have to promise your mom you won't get scared of Dinosaurs or Darth Vader." Alex said the child.

"I'm not scared." Dylan said sounding slightly offended.

Alex glanced back at Norma. Their eyes meeting for a few seconds. She would be glad when Dylan went to bed so that they could be alone.  
"Dylan, why don't you go brush your teeth? It's almost bedtime." Norma said glancing back at her son.  
"Okay." he agreed.

"I should go to." Alex said and stood up.

"Wait." Norma said in surprise. She watched Dylan go to the bathroom and shut the door before she could speak freely.

"Alex, you don't have to leave." she whispered. "I mean, if you wanted… wanted to stay over."

"I've been awake for almost thirty hours now." he admitted sadly. "I need to go home and get some rest. I have to be at the Sheriff's station in the morning for a briefing on Gemma Harper."

"Oh." Norma sighed.

"Look, don't say anything to anyone about what I told you tonight. About Gemma Harper." he said picking up his jacket so he could go.

"I won't. Thank you, for coming over and for dinner." she said politely.

"It was nice, wasn't it?" Alex agreed.

"Yeah." she grinned.

"Not much of a date night, but as soon as Norman's home and things with the missing girl are settled, I can plan something more impressive for you." he said.

Norma felt her cheeks grow hot. She wasn't used to the idea of a man planning anything for her. This thing with Alex still felt so new and fragile. It would break if it were handled to quickly.

"I would like that." she admitted honestly.

"Good." he agreed. "Do you want me to come by the house in the morning? Just to check on the two of you?"

"Yes." she said plainly. Her honesty with him showing no signs of slowing down.

"Okay." he agreed.

She waited for him to kiss her good bye, but he didn't. Instead he pulled on his jacket and collected his keys. He was turning to go and Norma felt her heart might break.

"Alex?" she accused sharply.

"Yes, Mrs. Bates?" he asked innocently.

She grinned, at his mischievous teasing. As if she had no control of herself, her hands were pulling on his jacket and bringing him close to her. Alex wasn't leaning down to steal a kiss this time, so it was up to her to do the stealing. She craned her neck up slightly and kissed his lips softly.

Where his kiss had been efficient and effective, like he'd kissed her everyday, she kissed him delicately on the lips at first. A tease that quickly lured him into her. She deepened her kiss, her lips moving over his with an ease and comfort she didn't remember feeling before. Her skin pricking hot as their lips moved together. His mouth wanting to take command over hers and she recklessly surrendered to him.

His hands were touching her face. His strong fingers were over her jaw; holding her prisoner in an embrace she didn't want to escape.

He finally pulled away slightly and she had to tell herself to breathe. Her breath coming hard and her mind slightly confused from lack of air.

"I need to go home." Alex said weakly. She could tell he was exhausted, but didn't want to leave her.

"Okay." she whispered. "Okay."

"I have to get some sleep." he added.

"I know."

"I want to stay."

"Go, home." she said. Her smile coming back again. Her body feeling lighter for some reason after their kiss. "I'll see you in the morning."

"Before you take Dylan to school." he agreed.

He leaned down and kissed her good night quickly. His lips felt hard at the reluctant goodbye.

"Okay." she laughed and her face was too warm.

"One more." he teased and kissed her again. His body half way out the front door.

Norma was only slightly offended at his audacity.

"You're pressing your luck, Deputy." she teased.

"Maybe." he agreed.

She watched him leave for the evening. Glad that if he couldn't stay the night, he would be back in the morning.

 *** Remember this story takes place back in 1998. Back then we had to go to places called a** ** _video store_** **to physically rent a VHS tape movie. Dark times. Very dark times.**

 **Thanks to all the reviews! I really love hearing your feedback.**

 **Yes, we will see Emma again soon. No, this Joyce Summers isn't Buffy's mom. Good catch though. Yes, there will be Normero sexy time. No, Keith Summer's won't be back, but the house and motel will come into play again. Yes, there will be Normero conflict soon and yes, there will be Normero fluff in the form of a super romantic date night.**


	38. Chapter 38

38.

~ Gemma Harper's sad, little body was found by cadaver dogs the next morning. She was sitting, almost peacefully, under a large willow tree less than a mile from the more affluent homes of White Pine Bay.

"Her skull was crushed." Wilson said when Alex arrived on scene and saw for himself the dried blood all over girl's face.

Alex winced slightly at the way her eyes looked. She'd died with them open, and they stared back out at the world of the living in harsh accusation.

"No other injuries?" Romero asked as the two men stood at least four feet away from the girl's body. Crime scene hadn't finished recoding the area with pictures and video yet.

"Some scratches on her." Wilson said. "She's wearing the same clothes her parents reported her missing in. Right down to her shoes."

"Where are her glasses?" Alex asked. Gemma Harper already looked drastically different in death from her school picture.

"Most likely knocked off during the attack." Wilson said.

"We need to find them." Romero said. "She needs her glasses."

Alex missed the concerned look the Sheriff gave him.  
"I know it's not easy to see a dead child, Alex." he said.

"It's not supposed to be easy, Sheriff." Romero told him. "Do you think she was placed here? If her killer put her here, under the tree like this, maybe it means they knew her. Had feelings for her."

"More likely she crawled here." Wilson said. "See her hands?"

Both men leaned forward to inspect Gemma's hands. There was dirt under her nails and deep scratches on her palms and up her arms.

"There are bushes circling the gated community here that could cut someone like this." Alex said. "They're planted as natural deterrents to animals and humans. Cheaper and more effective than a regular fence."

Wilson nodded.  
"Good thinking, Alex." the Sheriff said. "What else?"

Alex looked over the body. Gemma's skin was pale, and covered in blood from her head wound. Otherwise, she was perfect.

"She hasn't been dead that long." Alex realized suddenly. "If she died at the time of her disappearance, her skin and clothes would have been exposed to the elements. Exposed to animals and insects. She was killed recently."

"About six hours ago, according to the field test." Wilson nodded.

"Which means, she was most likely taken from her neighborhood, brought to a second location close to here and kept there." Alex said putting it all together.  
"The only location close to this tree is the gated community." Wilson said.

"Makes sense she was brought there. The houses all have basements and large yards. Would give our suspect more privacy. She got away somehow, was hit in the head during the attempt and crawled through the bushes which scratched her. Finally reached this tree where she succumbed to her injuries." Alex said.

"Good job, Deputy." Wilson said. "Lets go door to door. Remember, only a handful of people know about finding Gemma Harper this morning. So as far as interviews go, she's still a missing person."

"Right." Alex agreed. The two men walked away from the body of the girl. Alex feeling her dead eyes boring into the back of his neck for leaving her there.

"Why didn't her killer come for her?" Alex asked.

"She ran away." Wilson said.

"She was injured. Badly hurt from a head wound and bleeding. He must have known that she couldn't have gotten far." Alex said.

"That's a question only our suspect can answer." Wilson said.

~ The opulent homes in the gated community were owned by the wealthy residents of White Pine Bay. The very people who profited off the drug business that Wilson was forced to keep in check. It was a fairly recent development, Alex remembered this area had been like a midivil forest when he was younger. Ancient trees covered with moss, wild streams and no intrusion of the outside world. When he was a kid, he and his friends would play King Arthur and Robin Hood in these very woods. The setting was perfect for children to lose themselves in for hours if not days. He hated to read about the development tearing apart such a sacred childhood memory. The tree forts and secret hiding places destroyed to make way for overpriced homes.

"Unless the developers destroyed it." Alex said after they check their third house and interviewed its inhabitants. "There should be a waterfall and small lake about a mile that way."

He pointed over a garish three story home that was made to look like a small version of mansion in Europe.

"First girl I ever kissed was at that waterfall." Alex admitted. "We were sixteen."

"Really?" Wilson asked. The Sheriff was amused by his Deputy's actual willingness to share something personal.

Alex nodded.  
"Juliet Mathews." he admitted. "Her step dad was a real asshole. He always getting arrested by my dad. They hated each other."

"So you two were literally Romero and Juliet?" Wilson teased.  
"Yeah, the irony wasn't lost on us either." Alex said grumpily.

"So what happened?" Wilson asked.

Alex slowed his walking. A part of him regretting even bringing it up.

"She… had a rough home life. Her step dad was a drunk. Really abusive to her and her mother. I remember she said there were always other people living in the house with them. Very crowded all the time. That she could never have friends over. Not that she had many friends to begin with." Alex explained.

Maybe the air was different here, the smell of the trees and moss. The nearby stream, and memories of a more innocent time, but Alex felt like he was that sixteen year old kid again. Angry at the world, especially his father. He remembered kissing Juliet by that waterfall after they'ed spent the day swimming in the cold lake. How they didn't bring bathing suits and had to swim in their underwear. How no one in the world knew they were there and they were alone in the universe.

Alex could still see her. The long blond hair she tried to keep tied back, but always came lose by the end of the school day. Her bright green eyes that somehow drew attention to the smattering of freckles on her nose.

He remembered how he'd cared for Juliet Mathews with such an innocent perfection only the young are capable of. It must have been true love because the pain was so intense.

"Where is she now?" Wilson asked solemnly.

Alex blinked and found himself back in the present. The horrible gated community had decimated his childhood playground with it's ugly homes.

"Juliet…" Alex said with difficulty. "She moved away."

"She moved?" Wilson asked.

"Yes, she moved away." Alex repeated.

Romero nodded to the next house.  
"That's Nick Ford's mistresses' house." Alex said. "Debbie Watson lives there with her daughter Blair."

"You want to interview the girlfriend of the biggest drug boss in the state?" Wilson asked.

Alex didn't slow his stride. A fresh wave of anger has pushed him into action. He wasn't that teenager anymore. He was capable of changing the fate of the innocent.

"Why not?" Alex asked recklessly.

~ The Watson home was tastefully decorated in neutral colors and reproductions of antique furniture. Alex suspected it was the result of hiring professional decorators balanced evenly with a full time maid to keep the massive house clean. Especially when he met Debbie Watson in person.

The maid answered the door and let the Sheriff and his Deputy into the living room to await the dramatic arrival of the infamous mistress of Nick Ford. She didn't disappoint them.

"Gentlemen!" she called out eagerly. Romero could hear her heels clicking on the tile floors before she even entered the room. "How exciting to have you here!"

Wilson and Romero stood up to meet her and Alex was impressed by the athleticism Ms. Watson must have to be able to walk in such high heels. He wasn't fooled by her though. She may have been placed in a fancy home in a restricted neighborhood, but there was no disguising where and how Debbie Watson met Nick Ford. She practically reeked of the low rent strip club with her see through animal print blouse and hot pink capri pants. Her dark hair was streaked with odd looking locks of platinum blond and her make-up did more harm to her looks than good.

Yet, if you took all the garishness away, Debbie Watson had the potential to be a truly beautiful woman. Her figure was superb and resembled the Old Hollywood ideal of a pin up queen. She even had the heart shaped lips and large doe like eyes so often favored from that era.

Still, Alex had trouble looking past the tacky clothes that openly displayed her cleavage and what color her bra was. They were the type of clothes a teenager might wear, and still look ridiculous. When he looked over Debbie Watson, he was silently grateful Norma dressed so modestly. He liked for things to be left to the imagination and Norma always made his imagination run wild.

"Ms. Watson, we were wondering if you knew a girl named Gemma Harper." Sheriff Wilson asked casually.

"I met a lot of people, Sheriff." Debbie said with a smile. Her face serenely innocent. "I mean, just last night I was at a party and there had to be fifty people there. I doubt I remember any of their names. My girlfriend and I did some blow in the bathroom and I then I was flying for the rest of the night."

Alex felt his face harden.

"Well Gemma Harper wouldn't have been at this party, Ms. Watson." Wilson said. The Sheriff tactfully ignoring the woman's open drug use. "She's an eight year old girl who's been missing for a few days now. We have reason to believe she was here."

"Here?" Debbie questioned.

Wilson nodded.  
"Oh no, that's impossible." she said and shook her head. "No one is ever here except Veronica the maid and my daughter Blair."

"How old is your daughter Blair?" Watson asked kindly.

"Oh, if you can believe it, she just turned ten!" Debbie said with a grin. "I had her when I was very young as you can plainly see."

"Did Blair ever have friends over? Maybe Gemma was one of them?" Wilson offered.

"No." Debbie said after some thought. "No, I told Blair she should ask to have friends over. I had my spa day before last nights party and as soon as I got home, she should have been in her room."

"Maybe Gemma Harper was here and you didn't know about it." Alex offered. "Maybe in your daughter's room?"

"No. I would have known if there was a strange little girl here." Debbie laughed. "It's not the sort of thing you'd overlook."

"Hopefully, not." Wilson agreed.

"Ms. Watson, my wife would love this decor you picked out." Alex said. He smiled and gave his best poor husband eye roll. "Do you mind if I look around? She's been bugging me about redoing the house and yours is the only place I've seen that I actually like."

"Oh, of course!" Debbie said happily. "My friend Nick paid this fancy decorator to come in and do all this. It's not really my style, but I guess it's okay."

Alex put on his best smile for her, he felt slightly nauseated while doing it, and wandered out of the living room. Wilson was still talking to Debbie about the neighborhood and White Pine Bay in general. Debbie had plenty to say about all of it.

Alex, quickly climbed the stairs to the second floor and looked for Blair's bedroom. From what Gemma Harper's parents had told him, she wasn't friends with a girl like Blair Watson. They went to the same school, true, but they didn't move in the same circles.

Yet, his suspicion was rising like the hackles of a dog. Especially when Debbie admitted she'd barely been at home for the past few days. Who was to say what went on in this house while she was away.

He quickly found Blair's bedroom and slipped in. It was a typical child's room. Once again tastefully decorated with nice furniture and bedding. Blair had the advantage of nice looking toys that hardly looked played with. Instead, Alex noticed the cluttered vanity table that was piled high with make up. Ten seemed a little young to wear make up, but Alex didn't know if that was normal or not. He wasn't sure what he was looking for when he passed the lighted display case of collectible Barbie dolls that were probably worth a fortune. He searched over the books with impressive titles that looked well read. Clearly Blair wasn't that superficial if she was delving into such deep literature like Hemingway at ten years old.

He was about to give up his search and go back downstairs. He'd make up another excuse to look at the basement with Wilson. His eyes roamed over a fairly horrible troll doll that seemed totally out of place in this little world of expensive everything. He picked it up and saw the pair of glassed nestled behind it.

They were the odd looking granny glasses Mrs. Harper had picked out for Gemma to wear. Alex pulled out the school picture of Gemma from his coat and compared the glasses to the photograph.

His heart felt ready to lead out of his chest. They matched perfectly. Gemma Harper was in this house before she died. Blair Watson had the dead girl's glasses.

Alex quickly put the glasses and the troll doll back on the bookcase. He'd seen enough. It was time to get a warrant.

"You know I think we could make room for you at one of our parties, Sheriff." Debbie was giggling like a school girl over Wilson when Alex rushed back downstairs.

"You are so handsome, with all that silver hair of yours." she said with slurred speech.

"I'm actually married, Ms. Watson." Wilson said politely.

"Happily?" Debbie asked.

"Very." Wilson added.

"Sheriff." Alex said trying to catch his breath. "We got a call in."

He nodded to the door and Wilson was quick to embrace make any excuse to leave.

"Nice meeting you, gentlemen!" Debbie called out. "You feel free to come by day or night."

~ "Gemma Harper's glasses were in Blair Watson's bedroom." Alex confided in the Sherif as soon as they were outside again.

"Are you sure?" Wilson asked.

"Of course I'm sure." Alex snapped. "I have her picture here. Perfect match. Most eight year olds don't wear glasses like that and a girl like Blair Watson wouldn't dream of wearing them."

The two of them walked back to the Sheriff's SUV in long, purposeful strides.

"That mother is never home. Who's to say Gemma Harper wasn't locked up in that house since her disappearance?" Alex fumed.

"Why would Blair Watson hold Gemma Harper hostage?" Wilson mused.

"Dylan said Gemma was bullied by some students he called mean girls. Maybe Blair Watson is one of them. Maybe they were tormenting her and things got out of hand." Alex reasoned.

"Gemma's home is over three miles from here, that's a long way for an eight year old to walk." Wilson said.

"Sheriff, we need a search warrant." Alex said.

"Deputy, this is the home of Nick Ford's mistress and his daughter. No judge in this county is going to give you a search warrant based on you finding a pair of glasses that look like Gemma Harper's." Wilson said sadly.

Alex stopped walking and glared at the Sheriff.

"Tom, that little girl's body was found, not even two hundred yards from where we're standing. Her glasses were missing and are in that house. The girls go to the same school, and the so called mother can't even account for her own whereabouts for the past few days, let alone the whereabouts of her daughter. There is more than enough evidence to get a search warrant." he said.

Wilson looked troubled.

"I didn't say there wasn't enough evidence. Just that you won't get one, Alex." he said.

Romero felt his anger coming to the surface.

"You know what kind of town this is." Wilson said. "We need a lot more connecting Blair Watson to Gemma Harper than just similar glasses."

"If we wait the evidence will disappear." Alex said through gritted teeth. "If this were anyone else, Sheriff, they would already be arrested."

"It's not anyone else!" Wilson snapped angrily. "It's Nick Ford. I didn't stay alive in this den of snakes by picking fights I couldn't win, Alex."

Romero took a step back in total shock.

"If we find more evidence that connects Blair Watson to Gemma Harper, we can pursue it. Right now, we have a grieving family to inform." Wilson said gravely.

 **Sorry for the lack of Normero. This story has many layers and I always like building on Alex's childhood in WPB. Also reintroducing characters in a new way.**

 **I like the idea that Blair Watson had a shady childhood and that she might be capable of killing another kid. I know that sounds awful.**

 **I'm really glad everyone liked the last chapter. Don't worry, lots more Normero to come.**


	39. Chapter 39

39.

~ Norma was glad to see Alex had come to the house as soon as he got off work. She spied through her kitchen window and felt giddy at the sight of him exiting the SUV to make the walk to her front door. He'd faithfully visited that morning before they both went to work. Just a few words greeting and to confirm their plans for tonight.

' _God, what must the neighbors think? His SUV is always parked here now._ ' she thought. Then at the same moment, she realized she didn't care what anyone thought.

"Hi, Alex." Norma said when he let himself in. He was holding his own copy of 'Star Wars' for tonight's movie.

He gave her a slow smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"How's Norman?" he asked.

Norma smiled happily.  
"He's doing much better. I talked to him today and even spoke to the doctor. They're going to release him early and I can pick him up tomorrow." she said happily.

"That's great news." Alex said. His voice wasn't enthusiastic though. It was like all his energy had been drained out of him.

"Is everything okay?" she asked.

She moved closer to him, but it was like he was on another planet right now.

Alex looked around the living room for Dylan.

"He's in his room." Norma said. "Taking care of his new pet turtle."

She didn't bother to hide the contempt in her voice.  
"So you caved?" he asked. His face wanted to be happy, but it couldn't seem to manage it.  
"Yeah, I caved." she admitted sourly. "He's such a good kid. I couldn't help it. Now I have a stupid, smelly turtle in my house. Just before you pulled up I found he'd put it in the bathtub. Who puts a turtle int he bathtub?"

She looked back at him, expecting he would laugh at her misfortune, but he was on another planet again.  
"Alex, what happened?" she asked sympathetically.

His eyes seemed dull. Like a light had gone out inside them. It broke her heart to see him like this.

"We found Gemma Harper today." he admitted sadly.

Norma knew from the way he said it, that the girl was dead.

She nodded slowly.

"I'm sorry." she breathed.

Alex looked away.  
"I… um… I've never had to tell a parent that their child is dead before." he confessed. His voice sounding nothing like the man she knew. Norma saw he was breaking in that moment. Her instincts telling her to try and keep him together.

She quickly moved forward and wrapped her arms around him.

"Alex, I'm so sorry." she whispered in his ear. She didn't ask him how it happened. How this poor girl died or even if they had the person who did it. She was sure to hear all about it later from local gossip. She didn't want him to retell something that was obviously so devastating. She didn't want him to go through that hurt again.

"I knew that we wouldn't find her alive." Alex said in a dead, defeated voice. "I just knew it."

Norma ran her hand over the back of his head when his forehead came to rest on her shoulder. His arms, stronger than she realized, locked themselves around her slim waist and pulled her close.

"I don't why I'm so negative." he said bitterly. "I should have been more hopeful. Maybe we missed something. Maybe we could have found her in time."

Norma listened to him but said nothing. Her palm running over the softness of his hair and trying not to enjoy the faint smell of his cologne too much.

"This wasn't your fault, Alex." she said in a weak whisper. She felt Alex's hands move down her waist and come to rest just above her tailbone. His breath was on her neck and all she wanted to do was comfort him from whatever demons had stolen the light in his eyes. She anted to do whatever it would take to bring her Alex back to her.

If her son wasn't home, if they were truly alone, she could take him back to her room and do her best to make him feel better. Her body yearned, like a long neglected hunger, to be savagely carnal with him at that moment. To be reduced to nothing more than flesh on flesh. Two bodies, moving as one.

Unfortunately, they weren't alone in the house, and Dylan would come out of his room soon.

"I understand if you don't want to stay for dinner tonight." She whispered. "But I'd like it if you did. I think you'd feel better."

"I'll stay." he whispered. He lifted his head back up and she felt his lips running over her cheek.

"Wilson gave me the day off tomorrow." he said weakly. "I can drive you to Portland to pick Norman up."

"I'd like that." she breathed in relief. "That would be really nice."

She gave a small yelp when his hands moved over her bottom and he was kissing her. His lips seeming to taste her like she was an expensive wine. Something that had to be savored by taste, smell and appearance. To only enjoy by small, mindful sips, and never devoured all at once.

She felt her skin burn like fire when his lips aggressively possessed hers. It wasn't just the kiss, but the feel of his body pressed so dangerously close to hers. His breath now tickling over her neck and his hands fiendishly pushing her hips into his.

"Alex." she managed to gasp. Her breathing coming hard now and she felt dizzy and weak. Her knees were wanting to buckle and his arms, so much more capable than she ever imagined, kept her from sinking to the floor. The heat that was burning her skin was becoming too much for her to bear. The blood rushing from her brain to newly awakened parts of her body made her feel slightly drunk. She'd never passed out before in her life, but knew she was about to lose consciousness when his warm breath and lips started attacking her ear. She'd never felt like this before with a man. Never made to feel like her entire body was might die from happiness.

"Don't." she whimpered in a warning. "Don't touch me."

He slowed his beautiful assault, his lips gently tasting her cheek now. His body and hands keeping her pinned close to him, but slightly relaxed so she could breathe.

"Don't… don't." she panted. "Don't touch me."

He released her, as requested, and she almost fell moving away from him.  
"Norma?" he croaked in a pleading voice she'd never heard from him before.  
"Dylan in his room he could come out any second." she whispered hotly.  
"What? He's never seen a man and a woman kissing before?" Alex asked bitterly.

Norma glared back at him. He looked angry at being forced to let her go. Even now, he was still trying to catch ahold of her. His hands trying to pull her back to him.

"You know that's not all that was happening." she accused.

Alex rolled his eyes in obvious frustration. Norma looked behind her to Dylan's room.  
"We're not alone in the house, Alex." she explained in a hushed tone. "I don't want Dylan to walk in on us like that. I don't want to explain that to him."

"What about him finding us in bed together?" Alex accused sharply. "He didn't ask about that?"

Norma felt a raw flood of rage run through her body. It left her just as soon as she recognized the hurt Alex was feeling at being abandoned just now. She never wanted to be responsible for hurting him.

He managed to pull her back, his hands greedily seizing her waist again. His face so close to hers, it would have been nothing at all to kiss him. To give him permission to enjoy her to his heart's content.

"Alex, we just need to be discreet when it comes to my kids. Okay?" she said. She ran her hands over his arms, and saw that light in his eyes had sparked back again. His hands were pulling her hips close to his and he was looking over her like she was a delicious meal for him to enjoy.

"Alex?" she questioned before his lips met hers again. She couldn't think of any logical reason to argue with him after that. His body was swaying as if there was music playing and they both moved with it together. Their bodies locked close by his arms wrapped around her waist and her arms holding onto his shoulders. He was kissing her with such a tender sweetness, she had trouble remembering any reason not hold onto him forever.

The dizziness returned. Her head spinning and her lips and body were tingling after being so long asleep, then so happily awoken again. The heat wasn't overpowering her skin this time. He wasn't burning her to the point she couldn't take it. Instead, it was more like dancing. Both of them knowing the steps and managing to keep the rhythm perfectly. When he pulled away from her, she felt relaxed and content. Her body was satiated at the gentle attention from her soon to be lover.  
"I made a pasta dish tonight." she managed to say weakly. "Do you like pasta?"

"I like pasta." he said huskily. "I think we should eat light though. Don't want to feel too heavy."

She nodded. Fully understanding what he meant.

"Good idea." she whispered.

She heard Dylan open his bedroom door and tried to move out of Romero's arms. He held fast to her, however, his hand coming to rest on her waist. Not quite as scandals as their earlier embrace, but defiantly sending a message to her son that she and Alex were close.

"Deputy, Romero!" Dylan said carefully balancing the large fish bowl in both arms. "Mom, got me a turtle!"

"I see that, buddy." Alex said happily.

Norma's face flushed hot with the embarrassment of having her son see Alex with his arm around her waist. Her body pulled close to his in a way she wasn't used to her child being a witness to.

Dylan seemed unfazed by this new development. He glanced at them, his expression indifferent to his mother's elevation into a romantic relationship with Deputy Romero. Instead, Dylan was only interested in showing off the tiny turtle that was in the fish tank he was carrying. He'd been working on the habitat for a while now and wanted to show it off.

"Hey, no more putting the turtle in the bath tub, alright?" Alex scolded.

"I was just washing him." Dylan protested.

"You can wash him outside with the garden hose." Romero said.

Alex turned back to Norma and she felt annoyed that he was so good with her son. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted to be mad at him, even though he'd done nothing wrong. She found she was even more annoyed when she couldn't think of anything to be mad at him about.

Norma knew she was giving him a dirty look because she saw that mischievous grin on his face. That light in his eyes flaring brightly again and all the sadness from Gemma Harper was gone. His grasp on her hip tightened and he kissed her pleasantly on the lips again.

Norma felt it was some kind of victory celebration for him. Just like the first time he'd kissed her on the porch. He'd looked too smug and if she didn't like him so much, she would have hated him.

"Why don't you two sit down? Dinner's almost ready." she said with barely restrained anger.

Alex was trying not to smile, but he failed at it.

"Yes, ma'am." he said happily.

 **I'm glad to read so many positive reviews of Blair Watson being a killer. Not to give anything away, but things are always so much complicated in WPB. This is not the last we will see or hear of Blair Watson. I intend to make her a very devious criminal who seems to divert the law.**

 **I got an interesting review about, in the show, it was implied that Romero and Blair had been sexual. It was suggested season 2 episode 2 when Alex was interviewing who he thought was her killer. He told him that the second DNA sample matched and he said that "the other one wasn't mine" meaning it didn't belong to Alex. I think he meant it to be sarcastic. I just don't see him and Blair together. Then again, look at Rebecca. (hissing)**

 **At any rate, they will not be sexual in this story at all. So no worries. Norma will obviously close the deal with him VERY soon.**

 **In this story, Norma is 24. Alex would be about 26 or 27. He went into the military right after high school. He spent about 2 years in the USMC before his mother died. To me that would have been the trigger that caused him to move back to his home town of WPB and join the Sheriff's department. Eventually seeing his father arrested for his many crimes.**

 **This would make Norma 39 and Alex at least 41 or the show. I couldn't find any bio information on how old Alex Romero is on the show, but Norma Bates Wiki profile says she's 39. If Blair Watson was fooling around with her students, I put her age on the show in her early twenties. In the story, she's 10 and so she'd be 25 on the show.**

 **Dylan would have been 20-21 on the show if he's 6 now. Norman, 17-18 if he's 3 in this story. So, Norma would have had Dylan around the age of 18 and Norman around the age of 21.**

 **I chose to make them so young in this story because Norma is so much more vulnerable with two young kids to care for. Also, they have the chance to be together sooner and prevent all the bad things from happening.**

 **Next chapter will have erotica. I wan't sure if I was going to put it in, but I've kept it as tasteful as I can. Some people are not fans and it's no 'Fifty Shades of Crap' so don't worry.**

 **Also, if you want to private message me, I will respond. You need to create an account so that you can do this. So far, most of my reviews are by 'Guest' and I have no idea who is who.**

 **Thank you for your reviews and for sticking with, what has become a long story with no end until Norma and Alex are together on the show!**


	40. Chapter 40

40.

~ It took an eternity for dinner to be over and the movie to finish. Alex didn't take seconds of the chicken pasta Norma had made. It was hard not to eat more of her cooking. Norma was a gifted cook and he never knew he liked spinach, for example, until she made it for him.

Dylan didn't seem to catch the under current of tension between the adults at the table. The looks back and forth or the amused smirks if they caught the other looking back at them.

Alex had never been so eager for Star Wars to be over as he was that night.

"This was my favorite movie in the world when I was your age, Dylan." he said tuning off the lights in the living room.

Norma had left the table dirty and joined Romero on the couch while Dylan sat on the floor in front of them. As soon as the operatic music started, and her oldest was successfully distracted, Alex pulled Norma to him.

"Come here." he whispered eagerly. She willingly moved a little closer, but not as much as he wanted.

"I want to watch the movie." she said innocently. A smug little smile on her lips now.

Alex ran his fingers over the back of her neck and tried to get her to look at him. But, stubborn as always, she refused to divert her attention from the screen.

"Norma." he whispered in her ear, but she quickly leaned away.

Frustration built up inside him and she must have sensed it and took pity. She slipped off her shoes and leaned her slight body into his. She rested her head on his shoulder and he relaxed back into the couch and took her with him. Her arms circling around his waist as if they had always watched TV like this.

"You proved your point." he grumbled.

"I know." she said smartly.

Alex kissed her forehead and they both settled in to watch Darth Vader board the rebel ship.

~ It wasn't enough to eat dinner and watch the movie. Alex had to help Norma clean the kitchen and do the dishes while Dylan took his bath and got ready for bed. Romero felt like everything was taking far too long, even though it was only 8 o'clock.

Feeling impatient, he pretended to dry a few dishes while Norma tucked her oldest child into bed.

"You've had a busy day." she told her son.

"I ate too much dinner." Dylan complained sleepily.

Alex had to smile at Norma's clever tactics. The heavy pasta she had given her son would no doubt make him very sleepy.

"Well, you go to sleep." she whispered. "Alex and I are going to stay up and talk for a while."

"Is Norman coming home soon?" her son asked.

"Deputy Romero and I are going to pick him up tomorrow."

"Can I come?"

"No, you have school." Norma said in a gentle voice.

"I don't want Norman to mess with my turtle." Dylan said.  
"Did you pick a name out for him yet?" his mother asked.

"Mr. Turtle." Dylan said with a yawn.

"That's it?"

"Yeah."

"Alright."

Alex tried to look busy when he heard Norma say goodnight to her son and shut his bedroom door.

"Give it about fifteen minutes." she said when she came back to help him wash up.

Alex didn't mention that he felt thoroughly abused just now. He had to keep reminding himself that things in this house weren't like they were in his own home. A place where he could accomplish any sexual goals in the living room without fear of innocent invaders.

He glanced at the clock and tried to appear aloof.

"Don't worry, he'll be out soon and Dylan's a heavy sleeper." Norma said with a big smile. Her teeth perfect and shining when she caught him keeping track of the time.  
"I hope so." Alex confessed. "We're about to test that theory."

"You poor thing." she teased and leaned closer to him, her face craning up to demand he kiss her. Alex happily complied, but she left him too soon. His appetite aroused and nowhere near satisfied yet.  
"Cruel woman." he breathed when she slipped away from him. He tried to catch ahold of her hand, but she turned and flashed that teasing smile of hers. He felt that current moving between them again. That force that made him feel so much more than just arousal and need for gratification. His only comparison would be to the recklessness of his teen years. When it was so easy to fall in love, and not be afraid of being heartbroken.

She smiled and looked back to her work of washing the dishes. Both of them keeping quite so Dylan could fall asleep.

Norma was finishing the clean up and Alex took it upon himself to make sure the house was locked properly. He latched the deadbolt and turned off the living room lights. He even looked out the window to make sure no suspicious characters were lurking outside.

"Do you do that because you're a cop?" Norma asked him. She'd been watching him lock her front and back door as if it were his home to protect tonight.

"Probably." he admitted. "My dad always did it just before he went to bed. I think it made us feel safer."

Norma shrugged as if she didn't care about the door locks at all.

"I always felt safe with you here." she said.

Alex felt himself swell with that male pride that only comes from hearing such a thing from a woman he wanted to protect.

"Lets go to bed." he said.

~ Norma tried to stay calm when Alex followed her to her bedroom. She felt like a complete novice at being with a man all of the sudden. In reality, she'd only been sexual with just a few men in her life so far. Half of them she'd been married to. She found that sex with her first husband had gone from adequate to frustrating after a year. Sam had been an exciting diversion, but his so called love turned violent and frighting very quickly. It had been a chore for her after she stopped caring about him at all. A humiliating and sometimes painful chore when he came home drunk and wanted to abuse her.

Alex wasn't even in the same universe as her previous lovers. There was a powerful connection that snapped between them when he touched her. It felt very forceful and demanded to be obeyed.

As soon as she shut her bedroom door, Alex moved a chair under the knob to prevent anyone from bothering them.  
"Not taking chances this time." he explained.

She was about to argue with him. Or maybe tease him about his fears they would be interrupted. Whatever it was, she didn't get the chance. He was on her too quickly to even say a word.

Her heart raced when his hands took hold of her face and his lips were once more tasting her, then devouring her. He pinned her to the wall and she gasped at the feel of hardness when his hips ground into her. He was kissing her and she was meeting his every move like true lovers always do. She had to remind herself to relax and breathe when he granted her a second to recover before his mouth claimed hers again. His hands weren't absent from the work. As soon as he was sure she was content to kiss him as much as he demanded, his palms laced around her body with surprising firmness. Pressing themselves on her lower back and pulling her body even closer to his.

She hadn't realized before how hard his chest was. How firm his shoulders felt while she tried to unbutton his shirt. That dizziness was back again when he was kissing her so perfectly that she couldn't concentrate on anything other than keeping up.

Alex leaned away just long enough to shed the light jacket he wore during the colder months. His hips refusing to leave her while he did this. His now cumbersome jacket taking too long to pull off and he seemed frustrated before he let it drop to the floor in revenge.

Norma felt that electric energy rippling through her when he attacked her clothing next. His hands not asking permission as they easily undid a few buttons and pulled her top down to expose her simple bra with black lacing.

She wished she had gotten something a little more sexy for him. She wasn't sure why she didn't, but it was clear he didn't care what she wore, so long as it came off for him. His fingers pulling down her bra strap and kissing the flesh under the newly discovered skin.

She finally managed to unbutton his shirt and he tore his attention away from undressing her to peel it off. Once again his hips refusing to leave her and his breath warm and wet on her neck.

He leaned back and she was startled to see a different man had taken over his face. She saw the look of naked lust was there in his squared jaw and eyes that drank all of her in. She hadn't even noticed he had pulled her dress off and the cool air was caressing her skin that was already flaming hot.

"Alex." she whimpered. His hands were moving over her body. A body he hadn't seen or explored before. All while she was struggling to pull apart the stupid belt buckle he always wore.

Not wanting to waste another second, Alex stripped off the belt and carelessly dropped it next to his jack and her dress. His pants soon pooling around them as well.

Again he was kissing her against the wall and her flesh felt unusually hot. It felt like she was running a fever but without the feeling of being sick. His hands were cupping her bottom and pulling her hips to him. She felt that fearsome hardness her possessed, and couldn't stop herself from parting her legs for him. Her own desire wanting nothing more than to be penetrated without apology.

To her innocent amazement, while his lips were attacking her neck, Alex had managed to unfasten her bra and she felt the cool air kiss her breasts before the feel of his skin was on hers.

It was such a beautiful sensation of foreign flesh on her bare chest. Her lover seemed moderately appeased to have her naked, and slowed his assault to gentle kisses on her lips. She felt his hands puling at her panties. His fingers playing over the lace as she enjoyed the contact of his skin on hers.

"Alex." she breathed helplessly.

His hands were pushing her panties down and she noticed the dampness already pooling between her legs in response to him.

"Lets go to bed." she gasped when his fingers caressed the inner folds of her desire. His thumb ticking her clitoris so that she shuttered slightly.

"I want to go to bed." she whimpered childishly.

~ Alex, never one to refuse her anything, easily bent down and picked her up as though she weighed nothing at all. She let him carry her to the bed as if she were a bride being carried over the threshold. Her breath was hot on his neck while she held fast to his shoulders.

With ease, he laid her out on the bed. He would have loved to take in the view of his conquest as she laid before him. Her body would certainly have been a beautiful thing to see, but she refused to let him go. Her arms keeping him close and demanding his kiss take total possession of her.

The moment between them was long over due, and the lovers enjoyed each other thoroughly. Alex, relished in his exploration of her body, while his mouth caressed her breasts, stomach other places that had been forbidden before this night.

His lover was generous with her affections to him as well. Her hands wanting to give him as much pleasure as he tried to give to her. All this before he was even inside her.

She had reached for her night stand drawer once it was clear neither one of them could bare the foreplay for much longer. Alex didn't like her distracted from him and tried to pull her back. His lust was blinding right now. He couldn't think rationally and wanted his lover back in his arms.

"What are you doing?" he growled in her ear. His need for her demanding to be satisfied.

"This." she whimpered and pulled out a small, neatly packaged square for him.

Alex took just a second to register the condom she'd given him, before nodding and rolling off her to put it on. Of course he had to wear it, that was a given. But he hated that he had to wear it with her. Soon enough that would change.

He had enough practice and developed a technique that secured their mutual safety in a matter of seconds.

He rolled back on her and assured her that he'd done what she'd asked. After that, she gave hime everything. Her well shaped legs were spread wide for him. Her fingers playing over his back as they lost themselves to the power that pulled them so close. When he entered her, he delighted in not only the feel of her, but the way her back arched and her legs held fast to his hips.

He felt her gentle touch on his back turn violent, and he was forced to lightly hold her hands down over her head.

She felt wonderful. Her body molding perfectly to his as they moved together. She gave off soft cries and moans with each thrust he delivered into her. He couldn't stop kissing her when her skin felt so perfect on his and her inner walls contracted so beautifully over his aroused member. Their rhythm was flawless and he sensed her sudden climax shudder through her. Her body spasming around him and almost causing him to lose control as well.

"Stay with me." he ordered with a gentle voice. His lover's body was tense from her orgasm and she couldn't seem to focus on the man who was satisfying her.

"Just stay with me, baby." he whispered in her ear.


	41. Chapter 41

41.

~ Alex woke early the next morning to find Norma was sound sleep beside him. He wanted to say she looked especially beautiful after their union, but in all honesty, she wasn't a pretty sleeper at all. Her hair was tangled and she was even drooling a little on her pillow. Her soft snores told him she would be out for a while.

Not that he blamed her. Last night must have been exhausting for her.

Alex let the memory of their coupling replay over his mind while he listened to her breathing. His union with Norma wasn't the overly sexed playtime he'd experienced with Rebecca. Norma didn't tease him till he was half out of his mind with frustration. Nor did she torture or be cruel to him while dressed in a provocative corset.

Norma gave into him as easily as if they had been together for a lifetime. She gave him her body and trusted him to be just as giving. She had allowed him to take her and never once tried to play games or become petulant towards him. His body and mind had become quickly satisfied with her and he'd been able to sleep better than he had in years. His only torment was knowing that they had to wait till her son was settled, then having to be careful about how much noise they made.

And yet, it had been worth the final payoff. Their long dance around each other for the past few months, the mutual attraction that they both tried to ignore. Shyly admitting that she was important to him. That she was the sun. The only warmth and light in his life. It had all lead to last night's consummation that felt more real than anything he'd ever known. It was far more than just the sexual act for Alex. This was more powerful than anything he remembered feeling.

Alex glanced at Norma's alarm clock and saw it was almost six. Her alarm was set for six thirty and he carefully turned it off. He wanted to let her sleep in this morning, she was very tired and needed the rest.

He carefully slipped out of their bed and got dressed. His clothes were tangled up with hers on the floor. Alex carefully folded her dress over the bed as well as her underwear. He took special care with her bra. Noticing the black lace that wasn't overtly sexual, but lovely non the less.

Dylan was independent enough to wake up and get dressed on his own. Alex remembered Norma had been impressed by that in a six year old. Then again, he'd always been able to do things on his own and preferred it that way.

The child was surprised to see Deputy Romero waiting to take him to school that morning.  
"Your mom's still sleeping." Alex whispered to him. "What do you say we ride in my police truck and have breakfast at McDonalds?"

Dylan nodded quickly and grabbed his backpack. Alex wrote Norma a note and left it taped on her son's bedroom door. Last thing he wanted was for her to be angry with him for kidnapping her son again.

~ The world felt new to Alex that morning as he drove Dylan into town with him. He couldn't ever remember being in such a good mood. His body was well rested, but he was sure he didn't sleep that much. Every part of him felt alive and happy.

"Can we turn on the lights and sirens?" Dylan asked.

"Sure thing, buddy." Alex said once they were out of the sleepy lane leaving Norma's house. He let the child fiddle with the sirens and lights until they reached town. Then he had to put a stop to it.  
They pulled into McDonalds and ordered breakfast which they ate in the cab of the SUV. Both of them happy knowing a certain woman in their lives would never have approved of this breakfast meal.

"Dylan." Alex said as they ate. "You know that I'm over at your house a lot. That your mom and I are becoming really close."

"Yeah. You're friends." Dylan nodded.

"Yes, we are." Alex agreed. "How do you feel about that? About me staying over at your house with your mom?"

He was vaguely worried such an intruder in Dylan's home would stir up memories of Shelby.

"I like it. I never worry about stuff when you're there with us." Dylan said.

"What kind of stuff do you worry about?" Alex asked.  
"Stuff. Like people who might hurt my mom. Who might break her arm again. Who make her cry. She doesn't cry around you." Dylan said.

"That's good." Alex agreed. "You know I won't let anyone hurt you or your mom or your little brother."

"I know that." Dylan said. "I wish you could stay with us all the time. Mom isn't so sad when you're here with us. She smiles a lot more."

Alex could feel that warm wave of sunlight bloom from the inside at hearing that.

"Well, I plan to be around your house a lot more. I want to make sure that you were okay with that." Alex said. "You and your brother have been the most important men in her life. It might be an adjustment, to share her time with me."

"No, it's okay. You talk to her and that makes her happy. Then, she doesn't get upset about bad stuff. We all feel safe with you here, if something bad happened, you would tell us what to do and then it would be okay." Dylan explained logically.

Alex put a hand over Dylan's small shoulders.

"I'm glad you feel safe with me there." he said. "So it doesn't bother you to see your mom and I kissing and hugging?"

Dylan shook his head.

"Are you and mom going to get married?" the child asked after they sat in silence for a few moments.

Alex let out a long breath.  
"I'm not sure about that, Dylan. That's a big step." he said. "People should never get married unless it's forever."

"If you got married, we could all live together." Dylan explained.

Alex smiled.

"It's something to think about." he admitted.

"Mom would be happy if you lived with us." Dylan added.

"Really?" Alex said with an amused grin.

He looked out at the stormy weather crossing over the sky.

"We had better get you to school." he said.

"Okay." Dylan nodded.

~ Alex hadn't been in the new elementary school since it's construction just two years ago. He walked Dylan to his class and tried to imagine Gemma Harper in these very halls. Her death was going to be made public today. The family having been informed yesterday after her body was taken to the morgue.

"Dylan." Alex asked the child who held fast to his hand. "Do you remember telling me about the mean girls who Gemma didn't like?"

Dylan nodded and pointed in the direction of a knot of girls all dressed in pink.

Alex looked over to see they were older kids, all dressed well in clothes meant to be fashionable and not practical for this climate. Girls like them never changed and there were packs of them in every school in every year since anyone could remember. They were pretty and well cared for. Who's parents had money and who made themselves feel even more superior by dumping on their peers.

Alex saw there were five of them dressed so much alike that they must have planned it. In the center, like the queen of the school she no doubt was, sat Blair Watson.

Her brown hair was perfectly curled and held back with a pink headband and matching pink sweater. It was no surprise she was wearing makeup this early in the morning. She was even reapplying her lipstick while judging her face in the little compact she kept in her on trend purse.

She was her mother's daughter, and Alex felt his blood run cold at the idea this girl might have murdered Gemma Harper.

~ Dylan wanted to give Alex a tour of his class room. He showed off the class turtle and all the books and projects they were working on.  
"When Gemma comes back, we're going to be science lab partners." Dylan explained. "Everyone else was picked."

"I see." Alex said. Dylan then wanted Alex to meet his two teachers. Introducing him as Deputy Romero, and not 'My Mom's New Boyfriend', to which Alex was grateful. He got the distinct impression Dylan wanted to show him off to others like a kind of human show and tell. Especially when the child started to talk about going on fishing trips.

"Deputy, has there been any news about Gemma?" one of the teachers asked.

"I can't comment on an ongoing investigation." Alex said quickly.

He knelt down and pulled Dylan close to him in a hug.

"I'll be here with your mom to pick you up after school. Okay?" he told the child. "Remember to not leave the building until we come and get you. Alright?"

Dylan nodded.

Alex waved goodbye to the child before he was attacked again by teachers wanting to know about Gemma.

~ Back at Norma's house, Alex saw that she was still asleep in bed. It was almost nine and he planned to let her sleep for as long as she wanted. He'd brought an over night bag from home and decided to take a shower and put on fresh clothes for the drive to Portland.

His mind wandering, as it always did under the spray of hot water. Norma had soaps that were far too girly for his liking, but he'd forgotten his own body wash and would have to make do smelling like lavender and vanilla.

Hopefully the overly perfumed fragrance would wear off quickly. He let the hot water rain down over him while he tried to think of a way around Wilson. The Sheriff's fear of getting a search warrant for Blair Watson's house where he knew Gemma's glasses were.

If Blair Watson killed Gemma, what was her motive? It had to be more than just 'Mean Girls' mentality. Girls that age were cruel, but not evil enough to murder another child. Were they?

Then there was Bob Paris. With everything happening so suddenly with the missing girl, Alex hadn't had been able to even think about Bob Paris and what he could possibly have on him. He and Norma might survive the backlash of an investigation, but then again, they might not. Whatever he decided to do about Bob Paris, he would have to keep Norma out of it. She could never know about any agreement he might have reached with Bob. He hated the idea of working with the over confidant son-of-a-bitch. It would be far easier to just kill him.

Alex didn't hear anyone come into the bathroom from the sound of the water, but could feel the cool air rush in when the shower curtain pulled apart.

He glance back and saw Norma stepping into the shower behind him. Her naked body, a beautiful work of art with the light of morning streaming through the window.

Alex pretended to be indifferent to her joining him. He kept his back to her while she took the soap from him and started washing his back in slow, easy circles. Her hands were gentle and when, she'd rinsed off the soap, he felt her lips on his back. His skin waking up to the sweet contact.

He turned around and barely glanced over her perfectly formed breasts, slender waist and hips. He was drawn to her face. A face with no make up and hair that was tasseled and damp from the water of their shower.

Her eyes were an even more astonishing blue than ever before. He couldn't ever remember them being so rich in color. For the first time ever, he had nothing to compare them to. They were like nothing he'd ever seen before.

He held her face in his hands. Her smile blooming to life when he leaned closer to her. Their bodies natural and comfortable in their private bubble together.

He looked only at her face so that she would know it was more than just a body he wanted from her.

"You look beautiful." he told her.

Her smile brightened up her face and her laughter was musical.

"Thank you." she said. Her lips aching to be kissed.

"Did you sleep oaky?" he asked playfully.

She blushed. Her smile never leaving her face.

"I slept very well." she grinned.

"Good." he said kissing her. "That's very good."

~ Norma couldn't stop smiling. She felt ridiculous and wished she could stop looking so happy.

"What?" Alex asked. His own smile caught hers on the drive to Portland to pick Norman up.

"Nothing." Norma said innocently.

"What is it?"

"It's nothing!" she laughed.

Alex shrugged and concentrated on the road again.

"Kind of feels weird to wear clothes again." she confessed. "That's all."

Alex didn't look at her but his grin was evident that he agreed. It was nearly noon when they finally left the house. Norma was happy to be in the passenger seat of the Deputy's SUV for such a long trip. She felt perfectly comfortable with him driving them. She'd even been impressed with how he'd remembered her youngest's car seat without being told.

"You took Dylan to school." Norma said after a while.  
"Yeah. I wanted to let you sleep in a little." he said.

"Or a lot."

"Or a lot." he agreed.

"Thank you for taking him." she said.

"You're welcome."

Norma took a deep breath. What was there to talk about now? What was there to do? The tension had been broken. The current was still there, but it wasn't as dangerous as it had been before. It was no longer pulling them in each time they were together.

"The girl, Gemma." Norma said at last. "Do you have a suspect?"

Alex was quite. He tried to look at her, but before his eyes could meet hers, he looked back at the road again. She knew then that something was wrong. Even more wrong than a child dying.  
"Was she raped?" Norma whispered.  
"No." Alex said quickly. "Nothing like that."

"Do you think it was a stranger? Could other kids be in danger?"

"I have my own suspects." Alex sighed. "Wilson disagrees."

Norma wasn't sure what that meant exactly.

"Oh." she said.

"We shouldn't talk about this." he nodded.  
"Yeah, there's a lot we shouldn't talk about, Alex." Norma said moodily.

She didn't miss the look on his face that showed annoyance.

"What does that mean?" he demanded.

"You cant talk to me about the girl, I get that. It's like an open case or something. But we can't talk about the check from the insurance or why anyone wants to get to you using me. It makes me feel like you're doing something you shouldn't. I don't want that. I don't want you involved in something bad because of me." she said quickly.

"Norma, I'm not involved in anything bad." he insisted. "I spoke to Rebecca Hamilton at the bank and reminded her that what she did was illegal. As for people wanting to get to me, it's just the hazards of being the Sheriff's first deputy."

He looked back at her.  
"I'm sorry that it had to involve you, but some people figured it's easier to try and use you to hurt me." He told her. "But that's not going to happen."

Norma noticed that his voice was lacking that calming feeling that normally came over her. Instead of being comforted, she was more afraid than ever.

"I just don't want to lose this." she admitted sadly. "I mean, after everything that's happened. We're together, we're happy. I feel like it's falling into place finally."

She waited for him to say something but he was silent. She felt a tightness in her belly as the tension grew between them.  
"Norma, I promise, we're not going to lose anything." he said confidently.

 **Thank you all for the reads and reviews. I really enjoy hearing feedback. If you have some requests, please give me a shout out. Right now I'm working on Normero date night. It's so fluffy I wanna die!**


	42. Chapter 42

42.

~ Once her youngest child was in her arms, Norma felt more complete than ever. It had always been this way with Norman. From the moment she suspected he was on the way, she'd felt an intense bond with this little soul she'd never experienced before. Her pregnancy with Norman had been extremely easy compared to all the stress she'd endure with Dylan.

Labor with Norman had been almost effortless as well. Her son being put in her arms after only an hour of contractions. She'd fell in love with him as soon as she saw his wrinkled little face. Felt his warm body on her chest and started to nurse him. It was strong and unbreakable and she knew they were supposed to be together. It was like the rest of the world fell away and became a blur. It was only them in the universe.

"Oh, honey!" she cried happily picking Norman up and hugging him close.

"Mother." Norman called to her. "Mother, Dylan."

"Dylan's at school. We're going home really soon." Norma promised.

She had forgotten, in those few days how heavy her son was getting, and had to put him back down. At only three, he was getting too big for his mother to carry.

"No. Up." Norman demanded petulantly. "Up. Up."

"Honey, you're a big boy. You're too heavy." Norma scolded.

"Mother." Norman wined and looked ready to cry.

"I got him." Alex said.

Norma's heart fluttered when Alex lifted her youngest up without any effort at all. The child easily held in one arm of her heroic deputy.

"Norman, you remember Deputy Romero?" Norma asked the child.

Norman looked at Alex skeptically and then turned back to his mother. He reached or for her to hold him and not Romero.

"Honey, you're too big." Norma told him again.

"Mother." Norman complained again.

"I got you, son. You're okay." Alex told the child soothingly.

Norman didn't seem sold on the idea of Alex. He looked at his mother in hopes she would change her mind.  
The three of them had been waiting to see the doctor for a while now. Norma was eager to find out what was wrong with her son.  
"Norman, are you hungry? When we get home I can make you anything you like." his mother promised.

"We can go out for lunch." Alex offered. "My treat. I took Dylan out to McDonalds for breakfast."

"What?" Norma gasped.

She hated fast food more than anything in the world. She hated McDonalds even more than TV dinners.

"It was one time only." Alex said with that grin of his that meant she couldn't stay mad at him.  
"McDonalds is the worst, Alex!"

"I thought TV dinners were the worst." he said innocently.

"Alex!"

"It was just for breakfast."

"Gross, and now you want to eat it again?"

"Yeah."

"Ew!"

"Not ew!"

"Not Ew." Norman mimicked in his still babyish voice.

"See?" Alex nodded to her son that was settled a little more comfortably in his arms. "Norman agrees with me."

"I feel like I'm being outnumbered here." Norma said. She was grinning at the both of them.

"Ah. Hear that Norman? We got her on the ropes." Alex said to the little boy. "We gotta stick together if we want a happy meal, yeah?"

"Yeah." Norman agreed.

Norma felt happiness rushing over her at seeing Alex holding her son and being so good with him. She suddenly remembered what Hilary had said about finding someone who was good with your children in case she wanted another baby.

Norma shook her head at the idea. No. Not another baby. Not ever. She loved being a mother, but it was so draining being a parent. The worry over them never ended and she'd been the only parent to her boys long before Sam brought them all to Oregon. She looked back at Alex.

Still, Romero wasn't at all like Sam. She knew she wouldn't be forced to raise his child alone. Knowing Alex, nothing could keep him away from his flesh and blood.

Norma blushed again at the idea of a baby with Alex Romero. Of a life with him as his wife and mother of his children. It felt… tangible. Attainable.

"Hello, I'm Doctor Greggs." came a voice interrupting the three of them in their bubble.

Norma turned to see the welcome sight of Norman's specialist walking into the exam room.  
"I'm glad both of you could make it. It's always good to have both parents know about medical issues."

"Oh…" Norma shook her head and was about to correct the doctor.  
"There's an issue?" Alex interrupted.

Doctor Greggs took his time looking over Norman's medical chart before he responded.

"Norman has epilepsy." Doctor Greggs said without pre-amble.

Norma caught her breath.  
"What? You mean seizures?" she questioned.

"Yes. Not like the seizures you see on TV or in movies, Mrs. Bates. It's tonic seizures and not grand mal. In tonic seizures there is muscle stiffness and rigidity. Eyes open and non responsive. What you've been noticing before you brought him in." he explained.

Norma could barely understand what was being said. She heard a loud ringing in her ears.

"What causes them?" Alex was asking. But she could only hear his voice in an echo now.

"In a child his age it could be any number of causes. He had an episode here at the hospital after he was exposed to the light test. We can control it with medication." the doctor was saying. Norma didn't understand what was happening. The light test? The lights were too bright in here already. Everything was too bright.

"Norma?" Alex's voice found her through the brightness. She thought she heard Norman crying. "Norma sit down." Alex ordered. "Right here. Sit down."

She felt her body collapse in a chair and felt Alex placing her child back in her arms.

Once her little boy was with her again, like a security blanket, she felt instantly better. She breathed in the smell of him. His hair like feathers and his little body warm in her arms. Her son soon stopped crying to and cuddled up closer to her.

"If we start him on a regime of special medications, I doubt there will be any more issues. The light test we gave him was very intense and it was meant to trigger a reaction. He won't encounter that kind of thing everyday." the doctor was talking to Alex now and nor Norma about her son.  
"So this is treatable with medications?" Alex asked.  
"Yes. Lots of kids have this condition and live perfectly healthy lives. Many of them grow out of it after puberty. A child's brain is like a bag of popcorn in the microwave. It's popping and growing and changing constantly." the doctor said.  
"Norman doesn't eat microwaved popcorn. Too much sodium." Norma said numbly.

She felt Alex's hand on hers.

"What else can we do to prevent them from getting worse?" he asked the doctor.

"Plenty of sleep, his medications and avoiding stress. I suspect the car accident may have triggered the initial episodes." the doctor told him. "Also, he needs to stay away from alcohol."

"Norman doesn't drink he's only three." Norma said suddenly.

"He's making a joke, Norma." Alex whispered to her.

She didn't think it was funny at all.

"I'm going to give you some care instructions for when you get home. He has an appointment back here next month for a check up. Remember plenty of sleep, low stress and to take the medications. If he has another episode, just roll him onto his side and make sure he can breathe. It will pass. Like I said, a lot of kids grow out of it." the doctor explained.

"Thank you." Alex said.

Norma registered the doctor leaving them alone. She felt Alex pulling her into his arms with her son between the both of them.

"I'm so scared." she whimpered.  
"No, it's going to be fine." he told her gently. "Medication and he's probably going to grow out of it. We can handle this, Norma."

She was shaking her head.  
"No. I knew something was wrong. What if he has a bad seizure and dies?" she cried. She was ashamed of the tears falling out of her eyes.  
"That's why he's going to take medication." Alex explained calmly. "Now, we have to put up a brave front and not worry him. The doctor said stress might induce another seizure."

Norma allowed her body to relax in his arms.  
"You're right." she agreed and looked at her son. Norman had her eyes and he gazed up at her with perfect trust. His eyes the most beautiful blue she'd ever seen.

"Come on." Alex whispered in her ear.

He looked over at her little boy.  
"Ready to go to McDonalds, Norman?"

Norma didn't want to argue with him. She felt all of the fight drain right out of her.

"Alex?" she said weakly. He was looking down at both of them. His eyes kind and confident.

"Thank you." she said. "For everything."

~ Alex walked with Norman in his arms through the maze like halls of the children's hospital. The child seemed in better sprits now that he had seen his mother and knew they were going home. They'd gotten all the paper work for the child's treatment and had the hospital call in the script for the new medication to be filled.

Maybe Charlotte had been right, he did enjoy being a knight in shining armor for Norma.

She still seemed distracted and troubled over news of the diagnosis. Maybe she felt that she had done something wrong. It seemed to be her way to blame herself whenever there was a problem with the boys.

They had gotten a little lost trying to figure out how to get back to the lobby and found themselves down another corridor.

"I think we missed a turn." Alex grumbled and looked around for a convenient wall map. There were kids screaming and crying in little play rooms and one child seemed to be having a total melt down in a nearby room. Alex was grateful he had yet to see Dylan or Norman act like that. The boys were always well behaved and he wasn't sure what to do when they acted up. He knew what his father would have done, but he wasn't his father.

"Norma?" Alex questioned when he saw her wander away from him to a nearby exam room. "Norma, what are you doing?"

She waved back at him to give her a moment and slipped into the exam room where he knew she wasn't supposed to be.

Alex quickly followed her with Norman still in his arms.

The child throwing the tantrum was in the exam room and a balding man was pleading with her.  
"Emma, darling, come here and let the lady give you a shot. It's just a little shot. You've had a shot before. Be a brave girl." the man was saying.

Alex saw the little girl with the curling brown hair had hidden herself under the sink of the exam room and the adults were reluctant to force her out.

"Emma!" the man, most likely her father, scolded. "It's just an antibiotic for your lugs. You need it."

"Here let me try." Norma said gently and knelt down beside the sink to peer in at the little girl.

"Emma, do you remember me? You gave that good hug in the waiting room the other day. I was worried about my little boy and you made me feel a lot better." she said soothingly.

"No! No more shots!" the girl cried pitifully.

The girl's father looked exhausted and ready to start crying himself.  
"She's been through the mill. Lots of tests and needles. I don't blame her for having enough." he explained.

"Emma." Norma said patiently. "Everyone is going to leave now and you're going to be alone with me. Okay?"

Alex watched as, with a command only Norma Bates possessed, waved the nurse, the father and even himself out of the room. They all obeyed her without question and exited.

The overly stressed father seemed glad to leave his daughter to the care of a stranger for a moment.

"We have to give her the shot Mr. Decody." the nurse said.

"Just give them a minute." Alex told her. "Let them calm down."

The nurse looked a little affronted by Romero stepping in. But the father looked relived.

"I hope the missus in there has the touch. Emma has had a hard few days." he said.

Alex looked back at the exam room. He could hear Norma taking to the little girl.

"It's a living hell to have a child that's sick." Mr. Decody said. "You only want the best for your kids. You'd take on the illness yourself if you knew they didn't have to be the ones to suffer.."

Alex shifted Norman in his arms and was grateful his condition wasn't more serious.

"Do they know what's wrong?" he asked.

Mr. Decody nodded.  
"Cystic Fibrosis." he laughed. "Her lungs can't ever work properly. She'll need a transplant in a few years. If she survives that long."

"I'm sorry." Alex said. He truly meant it to.

"My wife, Emma's mother, just left. As soon as she heard the diagnosis. She said she couldn't handle seeing her baby so sick. So she'd rather not see her baby at all. What kind of a mother abandons her child when she needs her the most? Emma hasn't been the same since. She just wants her mother back. I don't know what to do for her." Mr. Decody said in near tears.

"You're going to take a few minutes to collect yourself, then you're going to go back in there and Emma will be calmer to." Alex said. He'd had experience talking with people who were upset and emotional before. After telling Gemma Harper's parents that their only child was dead, telling this father that he needed a break was much easier.

"It's nothing like you thought it would be, is it?" Mr. Decody asked. He nodded to little Norman in Romero's arms. "Being a parent I mean. You think it's just making love all day and cute babies in your arms. You know about the one a.m feedings and the nappies and such. You're ready for that. No one tells you about the nights your child can't breathe and you think she's about to die in your arms. No one tells you how to explain to your daughter that her mother's left because she got too sick."

Alex looked over Norman who sat serenely in his arms. The child oblivious to the conversation.

Mr. Decody wiped the tears from his face.

"Sorry about that." he grumbled in embarrassment.

"No problem." Alex said. "We all have our weaknesses."

"Yeah, and our weakness are these little buggers who call us daddy, isn't that right?" Mr. Deocdy smiled and pointed at Norman.

Alex gave the worried father a smile and tried his best to look like he understood what it was like to be a parent.

"Take as long as you need." he said to Mr. Decody. "I'll go check on them. I'm sure Norma's managed to coax her out."

"Your wife is lovely." Mr. Decody said with a nod. "Emma took a shine to her in the waiting room the other day. I appreciate it."

Alex nodded and watched the man excuse himself to use the bathroom.

Romero shifted Norman's weight again and went back to the exam room. He expected Norma to be talking to the girl on the floor, not find the two of them looking so cozy together.

Norma was sitting in one of the chairs and had Emma curled up in her lap as thought the little girl was still a baby. Emma's face was resting on Norma's chest and the pair of them looked like mother and daughter.

Alex felt a lump in his throat when he realized Norma was singing to her.

"The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping. I dreamed I heard you in my arms. But when I woke up, I was mistaken. And I hung my head, and cried. You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey. You'll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away."

Emma looked up at Norma in utter fascination and perfect love. Norman became fidgety in Romero's arms and his mother looked up to see them watching.

"Get the nurse now. She's okay." she whispered to him.

Alex nodded and quickly stepped back into the hall. He felt like he'd intruded on a very special moment between them. He waved at the grouchy looking nurse and informed her that the little girl would take her shot now.

"Finally." the nurse grumbled. Romero was tempted to tell her off, but decided against it. He did follow her back to the exam room when Emma was still cradled, baby like, in Norma's arms.

"Emma, hold my hand." Norma said.

Emma quickly complied and grasped firmly to Norma's fingers as the nurse pulled on the girls skirt and wiped her exposed skin with an alcohol swab. When Norma saw the needle, she kept her focus on the girl.

"Now a quick kiss." she smiled and Emma kissed her on the mouth just as the nurse gave her the shot.

"Good, job!" Norma exclaimed. "You're such a brave girl."

Emma went back to leaning on Norma's chest again and looking up dreamily at her. Norman was getting a little heavy in Alex's arms and he had to shift the toddler to the other side. He didn't want to break whatever spell Norma had cast over Emma. It was too beautiful to do anything but watch as Norma started another song.

"In all the world, dear, you are the one. My favorite human, under the sun. What brings tomorrow, we'll never know. So you better kiss me, before you go."

He waited for her to finish the rather sad song about dying and last kisses before Mr. Decody came back.  
"Emma, the nurse said you let them give you the shot." he said kindly.

"She was very brave." Norma nodded.  
"Thank you so much." he said. "I don't think I ever got your name."

"It's Norma." she said and shifted the girl off her lap. Emma seemed reluctant to leave her but understood their time was up.

"Norma Bates." she clarified.  
"Thank you Norma Bates." Mr. Deocdy said. He shook Alex's hand. "You to, Mr. Bates."

"Oh, I'm not-" Alex started to argue but was interrupted by Norman crying for his mother to hold him now.

"Oh, are we jealous?" Norma teased her youngest. She seemed happier now that she'd been able to care for this little girl. That she'd been able to fix a problem and avert disaster.

She plucked Norman out of Alex's arms with renewed energy and the three of them left.

~ Once they had finally found their way out of the building, Alex helped her put her son in the car seat.

"That was impressive back there." he nodded back to the building. Norma shrugged.

"I'm a mother." she said knowingly.

"I think you might have super powers." he confessed. "I wouldn't know what to do in a situation like that."

She smiled at him and shrugged.

"I just pretended she was mine. It wasn't hard." she told him.

Alex's skin grew slightly warmer at the idea of Norma with a real baby in her arms. Their baby perhaps. Her singing to their child in a rocking chair. Perhaps in a nursery he'd painted himself. Perhaps in the farm house that had been in his family for generations.


	43. Chapter 43

43.

~ Begrudgingly, Norma agreed to let Norman eat his first ever happy meal. The toddler was more than impressed with the experience of it. His toy was a little race car being driven by a dog that he seemed very pleased with.

"Can we go home now?" Norma asked angrily. She didn't like the idea of her son eating this garbage food. Romero, no doubt feeling victorious again, was all smiles on the drive back.

~ It was a nice drive home. The coming winter had loosened it's hold, and it felt much more like spring had come early.

"I was thinking we might have a date night soon." Alex said after a few miles of enjoying the scenery.

"Isn't that what we've been having?" Norma asked. "At my house, dinner and a movie?"  
"I meant just you and me." he clarified.

Norma glanced in the back seat at her young son.

"That would be nice, but I'd have to find a sitter and everything. I still don't know that many people I can trust. What with Norman's condition and everything, it's going to be hard." she explained.

"I'm sure we can work something out." he said.

"Alex, I'm just not sure it's a good idea to leave the boys alone with a stranger right now. Especially after what happened to that little girl. And I don't want to stress Norman out." she told him.

"It won't be that stressful to go out to dinner."

"I just want to get him back on a schedule, that's all." Norma said stubbornly. Alex sensed this would be the final word on the matter. He clenched his jaw shut and paid attention to the road.

~ As soon as they reached the out skirts of White Pine Bay, the police radio crackled on.

Norma shifted in her seat as Alex adjusted the volume and listened.

"Be advised. Suspect was last seen driving a late model brown and tan van. Florida license plates." the dispatcher said over the com. "Wanted in connection in the murder of Gemma Harper."

Alex picked up the radio mouth piece.  
"Clarice, this is Romero, we have a suspect in the Gemma Harper murder?" he asked.

Norma was holding her breath in the hopes that the police were about to catch this monster.

"Yes, sir." the voice on the radio echoed back. "Security camera footage puts him at the school the day of her disappearance. A teacher noticed the same van today when the boy went missing."

"What boy?" Alex barked and Norma felt her heart jump out of her chest.

"Alex?" she croaked.

"Clarice, what boy went missing?" Romero said calmly.

"A boy was taken from the elementary school, Deputy." Clarice said. "Six years old, Dylan Masset. We're trying to contact his parents now."

Norma didn't register that Alex started speeding down the old high way. Past the Seafarer Motel and into the village with lights and sirens blaring.

"I've got his mother with me now. When was Dylan Masset taken?" Alex was saying.

"It was about 30 minutes ago, Deputy." Clarice said over the radio. "We've already got a patrol car with eyes on the van."

"They found the van?" Alex barked.

"We believe so." Clarice said.  
"What about Dylan?" Norma breathed. She was hyperventilating.

"Clarice, what about the boy?" he demanded.

"Unknown." Clarice said.

"Where is the van now?" Alex said in obvious frustration.

"Near Settlers campgrounds. On route 50... east." she said.

"I'm ten minutes away." Alex barked and Norma felt the SUV charge ahead of the other cars on the road.

She looked back at Norman and saw her youngest didn't seem at all bothered by this latest even. The loud sirens coming from the SUV should have been more than enough to upset him, but he looked back at her indifferently. His new toy dog clutched firmly in his small hand.

"It's okay, Norman." she said weakly. The sirens and flashing lights doing more to upset her than her youngest right now. "We're just going to get your brother."

She trusted Alex's driving even at these speeds. She wanted Dylan back. It wasn't possible. How could some stranger in a van be able to take her son from his school?

"Be advised the suspect is armed." Clarice came back over the radio.

"Alex?" Norma gasped.

"Any word on the boy?" Romero snapped into the mouthpiece.

"An ambulance is on their way." Clarice said back.  
"Is Dylan okay?" Norma cried.  
"Clarice, is the boy hurt?" Alex demanded.

"Unknown, Deputy." the radio said.

~ A lot of homeless tended to camp out in these woods, and it wasn't surprising that there was already a make shift camp sight in a scenic clearing. Alex saw the flashing lights of two patrol cars and was glad he'd beaten the ambulance here.

"Norma, stay in the car." he instructed and activated the built in child locks, so she shouldn't get out.

Not that she didn't try. Almost as soon as he stopped, she tried to jump out and find her son.  
"Open the door!" she shouted at Romero. Alex stayed calm.  
"Norma, I need you to stay in the car." he said. "They said the suspect was armed."

"No, Alex!" she panted. Her eyes wide with fear for her child. "No. He's my son."

Romero climbed out of the SUV and kept Norma and her youngest locked inside. He was sure she would be angry about it later, but right now, he couldn't let her get hurt.

Alex drew his side arm and walked towards the cluster of other officers near a beat up old van. There was a blond man with a heavy, football player build already handcuffed and sitting on the ground.

"Look, ... I didn't take any girl. I don't know what you guys are even talking about. I just came to see my nephew. He's... my sister's kid. Come on, guys. I didn't take any girl." the man was saying with a slightly slurred speech.

Alex saw the kidnapper was secured, and holstered his side arm again.  
"Where's Dylan Massett?" he asked the lead officer.

"Deputy. Not use to seeing you out of uniform." the lead officer said instead.

"I was given the day off for a family matter." Alex nodded in annoyance. "Where's Dylan Massett? Is he hurt?"

"He's fine. We've got him in one of the patrol cars. Ambulance is on the way, but boy says he wasn't hurt at all." the lead office said.

"Dylan... he's just my nephew. I'm his uncle. It's not against the law to see him!" the suspect shouted in frustration.

Alex breathed a sigh of relief.  
"How exactly is this guy connected to Gemma Harper?" he demanded. Romero knew who had killed the girl and it wasn't this feeble minded drunk who could barely connect a sentence.

"A teacher claims she saw this same van the day Gemma Harper went missing. Now another child was taken? Not much of a leap." the officer said.  
"Listen, now... I didn't take no girl. I keep telling you that. Dylan's my sister's kid. My sister, her name is Norma Jean. I just wanted to meet her kid. I ain't never seen him before and I just wanted to meet him." the suspect said.

Alex turned to the man in handcuffs.

He was a big guy, taller than Alex and very muscular.

"What's your name?" Alex demanded sharply.

"Caleb Calhoun." the handcuffed man said. "I just got into town the other day."

"You were at the school. Sheriff Wilson is going over the security cameras now and your van was there when the girl vanished." one of the officers snapped.

"Look, I told you I don't know nothing about that." Caleb said. "I didn't go there. I mean, I went to the school a few times because I saw my sister, Norma Jean, dropping him off."

"Why…" Alex felt confused. Norma told him that her brother died. "Why didn't you just talk to the mother? Why take the boy?"

Caleb shook his head.  
"Well, you... you see Norma Jean and me, we had a falling out. Long time ago. She might not want to see me."

"A baby killer might not want to see you? Get out of town." the lead officer huffed.

Alex could hear the ambulance sirens blaring through the camp grounds and other sirens that meant even more cops were coming. That meant reporters to. He had to get Dylan out of here.

"Get him in the back seat of a cruiser before the news crews show up." Alex ordered. "Impound the van and photograph everything inside it before it's towed. Where is Dylan?"

The lead officer pointed to a patrol car in the back, out of view of the arrest.

"I'm taking custody of the child. His mother is with me." Romero said.  
"Yeah. We had a feeling she would be, Alex." the lead deputy said with a shrug.

Romero shook off the comment and went to check on Dylan. He found the six year old waiting patiently for him in the police car.

"Hey, buddy." Alex said once he'd opened the door and confirmed that the child was alright. He tried to keep his voice calm but it was hard just now.

"Hi, Deputy Romero." Dylan said weakly.

Alex knelt down in front of the little boy so they could meet each other in the eye. Dylan needed to know this was serious.

"Dylan, do you know that man?" Alex asked. He tried to be gentle, but he was ready to explode.

"Not really. He said he was my uncle. That he's mom's brother." Dylan explained.

"But you don't know him." Alex confirmed darkly. "You never saw him before? You've never met him?"

Dylan shook his head.

"You went with him?" Alex asked. "You willingly went with him?"  
"Yes. He said he was mom's brother. That it was alright." Dylan said in a small voice.

"You left with a stranger in a van just because he said he was your mom's brother?" Alex asked hotly. "Dylan, I thought you were smarter than that."

"I'm sorry." Dylan sobbed slightly.  
"Son, this is beyond sorry right now. Sorry isn't going to fix this." Alex said darkly. "Your friend Gemma Harper? Remember how she's missing? They found her dead and they think this man did it. Do you know he could have killed you? He could have killed you, Dylan, and your mother and I would have been very sad. You know that? "

Romero didn't mean to sound so harsh, but the child needed to know how close he could have come.

"He seemed nice. He showed me a picture of mom when she was little." Dylan croaked.

"I don't care how nice he is!" Alex snapped. "You could have been murdered! You know that you don't ever go off with a stranger!"

"I'm sorry!" Dylan started to cry.

"You know better, Dylan." Alex breathed.

The child was shaking slightly and Romero felt all the anger leave his body.

"Come here, son." he said and pulled the boy into his arms protectively.

"I'm sorry. Please don't hate me." Dylan sobbed.  
"I don't hate you. I could never hate you." Alex assured him. "I'm only mad at you right now because we could have lost you."

Dylan sniffed back a sob and wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

"What would your mother do without you?" Alex asked. "You know she needs you."

Dylan held fast to him in a bear hug that Romero didn't want to end.

"It's because we care, son. Okay?" Alex said gently.  
"Okay." the boy said weakly.

"You know your mom is going to give you hell about this." Romero warned. "You know you deserve it to."

"I know."

"You're going to be grounded, at the very least. You won't be able to watch movies with us for a while. But your mom and I still love you." Alex told him.

"You love us?" Dylan cried softly.

Alex held his breath for a second or two and let it out.

"Of course I do." he admitted.

"You love mom?"

"Dylan."

"I promise I'll be good. I won't do anything bad ever again if you and mom get married. I promise." Dylan said quickly.

"Dylan, I don't want you to worry about that right now." Romero said. He couldn't handle everything that was being thrown at him just now.

"But mom-"

"Your mom and I are still mad at you for leaving school with a strange man." Alex said once he'd regained some composure. "She's here now with your brother in the back seat and you're going to be in for it."

Dylan held fast to Alex.  
"But I'll be here." Romero promised quickly.

He heard the paramedic rushing up to them and released his arms around the child so that he could be examined.

~ Norma was ready to murder Deputy Alex Romero. He'd locked her in the SUV and she couldn't get out. She didn't even know there were these special locks for the front part of a police car. She tried to unlock her door herself but it was some kind of trick she didn't know and couldn't seem to figure out.

Norman had grown bored and fallen asleep while his mother tried to figure out how to free herself. She spotted Alex returning to the SUV and acted innocent of any escape attempts.

Even in the middle of her worry and fear, she couldn't help but admire how handsome and authoritative he looked just now. Even when he wasn't in uniform, there was a stoic beauty about this man that made her pule quicken.

He unlocked her door and his body stood firmly in the way of her getting out.

"Is Dylan okay?" she croaked.

"He's fine, Norma." Alex said. "Paramedics are looking him over."

"I wanna see him!" she said quickly. She tried to get out of the SUV but he stopped her.

"Norma." he breathed.

"What? What is it? What's wrong? You said Dylan was okay!" she said in near hysterics.

"The man who took him, he said his name was Caleb Calhoun. Do you know him?" Alex asked.

Norma could feel her blood run cold at the mention of that name. A name she hadn't heard out loud in years. Her lips clamped shut and she could feel the talons of that black bird on her shoulder. Hear it laughing at her and wanting to peck at her eyes. Sweat started breaking out over her body. She felt panic rushing over her and the fear that she and her children were in danger was very real.

She looked back at Alex and saw his eyes were kind, but searching for the truth.

"Did he kill that girl?" she asked weakly.  
"You need to tell me the truth." Alex said softly. "Is Caleb Calhoun your brother?"

Norma looked away and couldn't physically say anything.

"Because you told me, that day on the water, that your brother was dead." Alex said. "Right now, he's being arrested for kidnapping your son and they will certainly try to tie him to the murder of Gemma Harper."

"Do you think he did it?" Norma asked. She didn't want to believe her brother had killed that little girl. There was so much she didn't want to believe Caleb was capable of.

Alex looked upset.

"Why did you lie to me, Norma?" he demanded.  
"I didn't!" she snapped.

"Your brother is alive. Why did you tell me different?"

"We've been estranged for years now. We had a falling out." she said quickly.

"Why would he come here now? Why try to take Dylan?"

Norma felt her breathing pick up. What if Caleb saw her son and knew the truth? Knew who he really was?

"Can I… can I just see my son please?" she begged.

Alex looked saddened by her refusal to tell him the truth. Her refusal to admit she even lied at all.

"Stay here with Norman." he said at last. "I'll bring Dylan to you."

Romero peeked into the back seat at the sleeping toddler.

"Okay." she whispered.

"I've already gave him a lecture about leaving school with a stranger." he said.

"Okay." she nodded. "I just need to see him. I need to make sure he's not hurt."

"He's fine."

She nodded and hoped her lover would lean in and kiss her in that special way that made her body feel weak with happiness. Things had gone so wrong today and she wanted him back like they were before they left the children's hospital.

But Alex left her there, no kiss, no other comfort except that her son was safe and the knowledge that a monster from her past was back.

 **I appreciate all the feedback about future Normero babies. We're a long way away from that right now. My goal is to do a chapter a day until "Bates Motel" season 5 comes on. My goal is to fix everything so that Normero can be happy.**

 **There is this great picture of the cast that was taken, most likely, during the filming of "Last Supper". It's Nestor, Vera, Olivia, Max and Freddie all on the couch together. All I think of when I see it is a happy family. That is my goal. A happy family for Normero. Maybe with a little one or two thrown in.**  
 **Emma will be back. I've got a special chapter I'm working on right now for her.**


	44. Chapter 44

44.

~ Dylan rushed into his mother's arms as soon as the paramedics were satisfied he wasn't hurt.

"Oh, you're safe!" she cried and hugged him tightly.

"I'm sorry, mom." Dylan apologized over and over agin.

"It's okay, sweetie." she said and kissed her wayward child repeatedly.

"I thought he knew me. He said he knew me and that he was your brother." Dylan explained.

"It's alright, baby you're safe now."

"Deputy Romero says I'm in trouble. That I'm grounded for going off with a stranger."

Norma wanted to tell her son that it was okay, that as long as he was safe, she wasn't mad at him. It hadn't occurred to her that Dylan had willingly left school with Caleb. Her heart started to pound furiously at the image of Caleb seeing her son. Seeing her child and knowing the horrible truth.

"You... you left with that man?" Norma asked in a shaky voice. Tears were filling up her eyes.

Dylan nodded.

"Honey! What were you thinking? You know better than that!" she cried.

"I know. I know it was bad. I know I'm grounded." Dylan said sadly.  
"You are… **more** than… than grounded, young man!" Norma spat. "You scared the life out of me and scared all these people to!"

She waved her arm around at the police and paramedics who had descended on the camp sight. All of them had left Norma and her son alone. Only stealing the quickest of glances at them. No doubt Alex had told them not to bother her and her children.

"Get in the back seat. We're going to talk about this when we get home." she snapped.

~ Alex looked over the interior of the van that belonged to Caleb Calhoun. It was rigged for camping and the sleeping area was only big enough for a good sized man. Everything else was practical and needed only for basic survival.

"Any evidence of Gemma Harper being transported?" Romero asked the crime scene tech. The girl was wearing a paper jumper clean suit to prevent anything from contaminating the crime scene. She was looking for hairs and other fibers that might connect them to the murdered eight year old.

Alex was willing to bet that Caleb Calhoun had nothing to do with Gemma Harper. That in fact, Gemma Harper's killer was a ten year old girl named Blair Watson and her pack of mean girls. It made no sense that Caleb would kidnap the girl in this van, then drive her to the nice part of town, hit her in the head and let her try and escape.

"No blood." the lead tech said shining a black light over the bed area. "We found some pictures with the name Norma Louise written on the back. Isn't that the sister he was telling everyone about?"

Alex nodded and the tech handed him several polaroids that were put into individual evidence bags.

"They were in an old lunch box." she said and held up an old metal lunch box that was worn and rusted with a picture of Barbie on it. "They don't make them like this anymore." the tech commented.

"Any other pictures? Anything that might indicate he'd taken other children before now?" Alex asked.

The tech shook her head.

"There's some old school papers, drawing and even some old toys. All the papers say Norma Louise and the little toys are pretty old and banged up. They were all in the lunch box." she nodded at the abused little box. Barbie's smile was always perfect, even though she'd found herself in such a sad world now. "It says Norma Louise in the lid." the tech added.

Alex pulled on latex gloves and looked over the contents of Norma's old lunch box. Caleb had kept these things as a kind of memory box of his sister. Norma's old school work. Pages from a coloring book. Even some old cracker jack prize jewelry were kept safely tucked away as if they were extremely valuable. He uncovered a few little plastic dolls that Norma had not doubt loved very much, but were cheaply made and spoke volumes about a childhood with very little.

Alex put the metal lunchbox aside and took a moment to look over the pictures.

They all had that same girl in them, and there was no mistaking such a sad little face that so rarely smiled. Alex felt his jaw clench at seeing such a sorrowful girl. Norma was not much older than Dylan in most of the polaroids. She looked terribly neglected and dirty with her clothing too small, thin and raggedy. She rarely smiled in these pictures, but when she did, the little girl became beautiful. Just like the grown woman she would become, Norma's face was radiant when she smiled. Alex looked over the backgrounds of each photo and saw she was standing in front of run down houses, cars and other locations he couldn't place. Certainly not Arizona where she said she came from.

The last photo was of a stocky looking blond boy sitting next to the younger version of Norma. Her face seemingly unchanged with the passage of time and her pre-teen body looked too thin. Both children were smiling at the camera while they held a plate of food on their laps. They looked to be sitting out of the open doors to this very van.

Romero looked over the pictures for matching points and saw the color of the interior was unchanged. The built in cabinet was identical, as were the window stickers.

He turned the photo over and saw scribbled in girlish handwriting: _Norma Louise & Caleb Calhoun. Colorado, 1987. _

So she was about 13 when this was taken. She'd never mentioned the family had lived in Colorado. Alex looked over the backs of the rest of the pictures. All of them were written on in that same girlish writing that no doubt belonged to **his** Norma Bates. He looked at the dates and locations that she had carefully documented all those years ago. She'd traveled all over the country. He made out California, Oklahoma, Texas, Georgia, Ohio, Michigan and Wyoming in just the span of three years.

Why had she never told him this? Alex Romero had never once left the state of Oregon until he enlisted in the Marines right out of high school. Norma didn't seem like the kind of woman who traveled without stop. Who lived a life like an unwelcome gypsy. She seemed to hold great value in stability in her world. Of staying in a house and making it a real home.

Then again, she arrived in White Pine Bay only a few months ago with next to nothing. She was always talking about this being her new life and that it was different for her and her sons. What if Norma had always lived this way? What if she had always been on the run?

If that were true, what was she running from? Why had she lied to him about her brother? Why not just admit they had become estranged? It happened in families all the time. Especially in homes like the one Norma appeared to have grow up in.

"Anything belonging Gemma Harper?" he asked when he handed over the pictures to the tech.

"Nothing." the tech said. "Isn't Norma Bates your girlfriend? I mean that's what I heard, it's not my business, Deputy."

"You're right, it's not your business." Alex snapped.

"Okay, but if this guy really is her brother, it might not be a kidnapping. Maybe it was just a misunderstanding." she explained. "That's what most alleged kidnappings are, right? A custody issue in a family?"

"No, this is a kidnapping. This guy didn't have permission to take her child." Alex told her coldly. "I want everything cataloged, and I mean everything. Make sure you note the absence of any blood before this van is towed."

He turned from the old van and went to take Norma and the boys home.

~ Romero didn't get very far before a camera flash caught him off guard and he knew he'd been caught by the newspaper sniper.  
"Deputy! Can you tell me more about Gemma Harper's killer?" came a hurried cry from Harold Scott. He'd been the local reporter for paper for more than thirty years now and he'd been responsible for almost all aspects of it. It was Harold Scott who had kept the paper afloat for years by hunting down advertisers with the tenaciousness of a major news story. Alex had always liked him for the fact he refused to jump off a sinking ship and instead, made it sail again. Scott had turned the paper around with clever articles about the town and a slight bending of the truth to draw more readers.

It was good work for a man who'd never even finished high school. Intelligence had been difficult to define when it came to Harold Scott. A man so fiendishly clever that his teachers had thought he was stupid. That was the way things worked back then, and no one thought Harold Scott would amount to much. Just looking at him now, you'd think he might be homeless. All his worn clothing, two jackets and broken shoes made him look much less like a reporter and more like the local drunk who wouldn't remember anything you told him. It was a ploy that worked well for the best reporter in town.

Romero was sure that Scott wanted to publish a ground breaking 'Gotcha' story about the drug families of this town, but would never be able to if he wanted to stay alive. So the poor reporter had to make do stories about community events and terribly dull things.

"Harold." Romero groaned.

"Alex." Harold Scott said with equal dismay and a grin that said he knew more than even Alex did about the situation.

"No comment." Romero said.

"This guy took your girlfriend's kid huh?" Harold asked.

Alex turned around and glared at the reporter. Harold shrugged.

"That's rough. I heard he's okay though. Glad he didn't end up like Gemma Harper. So what do you think, Alex? He took Gemma, brought her all the way out here without being noticed and then killed her? Then he placed her body under that tree? Doesn't seem possible or even very smart. I mean, if I was going to take a girl, I wouldn't take her out here. Too easy to escape, right? It's at least ten miles from where she was found to. Long drive just to dump a body." Harold Scott said indifferently.

"No comment." Romero said.  
"You seem to be the main feature on all my stories about the heroics of our boys in blue." Harold went on.  
"Sheriff's Department doesn't wear blue." Romero said.  
"Right. What I mean is, you shooting that wife beater. Killing him. Then saving that woman and her kids from that sinking car. You know that story got picked up by ten other papers down the west coast? Now, you're arresting the guy who took some woman's kid. Funny thing, it's the same woman in all these situations. It was Norma Bates' husband you shot and killed. Norma Bates' car that went into the bay and who you personally rescued children from. Now it's Norma Bates' son who was taken and rescued by you." Scott went on.  
"Not by me. I arrived late to the arrest." Romero argued.

"My mistake." Harold said innocently. "So, it's odd that all these things keep happening to her and that you're always around to save the day."

"What's your point?" Alex snarled.

Harold shrugged again.

"Just odd. That's all. Maybe nobody else notices that you and her seem to be drawn to unpredictable situations. Situations that always leave you being the golden boy of White Pine Bay." he said.

"Not always." Alex said darkly.

"That's how Wilson wants it written up." Harold told him.

"Sheriff Wilson is here?" Alex asked. Harold Scott nodded.

Without another word to the reporter, Romero ducked back under the police tape and into the camp grounds. The van was already being towed and Alex found Wilson talking to the police officers who had arrested Caleb Calhoun.

"Tom." Alex said curtly. Wilson turned and dismissed the officers.  
"I heard Dylan wasn't hurt." the Sheriff said. "Lucky we found this guy when we did."

"Dylan is fine." Romero nodded. "What's going on?"

"Caleb Calhoun is being arrested right now for kidnapping. Once we get his van into impound, I'm sure we'll find evidence of Gemma Harper. I have that same van on the school surveillance tape the same day the girl went missing." Wilson explained.

"Tom." Romero said coldly.

"You're off this case, Alex." Wilson told him. "This last victim is the son of a woman you're romantically involved with. There is to be no more of your involvement in the Gemma Harper murder. It's for the integrity of the DA's case that you're not involved."

"Well that's very convenient." Alex whispered. "Since I'm the only one who saw Gemma Harper's glasses in Blair Watson's bedroom."

"We can't confirm they belonged to Gemma Harper." Wilson said quickly.  
"Tom."

"Alex, go home with Norma. Make sure she and her boys are alright. I've told Harold to keep her name and Dylan's name out of this entirely. As far as the news story goes, there was no second kidnapping at all. I don't want the whole town thinking this poor boy was abducted and God only knows what. We've dealt with this already and this is how we're going to do this again." Wilson said.

"What about Blair Watson?" Alex asked.  
"What about her?" the Sheriff asked. "You shouldn't even still be here, Alex. Go home."

 **So last night posted chapter I kept calling Norma Louise Bates, Norma JEAN. My bad. That's actually Marilyn Monroe's real name. Not sure why I did that. So I didn't change her name, my fingers did. But her name is Norma Louise Bates. Won't happen again. **


	45. Chapter 45

45.

~ Norma felt uncomfortable when Alex returned to the SUV. He looked angry and refused to meet her eyes.

She watched him unlock the door and climb back into the driver's side.

"We need to go to the pharmacy and pick up Norman's medication." he said cooly.

"Alright." Norma breathed.

She could feel the tension building between them. It felt awful.

"It's okay for us leave?" she asked.

"Yes." Alex told her curtly. "I explained to Wilson about Norman's recent diagnosis. That he needs to be at home and resting. That Dylan isn't hurt and you want him home with you. You'll have to bring Dylan to the station for a statement and to press charges against this man who claimed he's your brother. I'll take you there in the morning. You won't have to see him or talk to him if you don't want to."

"Fine." Norma said softly.

She knew Alex wanted to question her more about Caleb, but was reluctant to do so in front of the boys.

They were silent as Alex drove them to the pharmacy and got her son's new medication with instructions to give it to him in the mornings and in the evenings.

Alex seemed distant with her and something felt broken between them. His expression was hard to read. It was like he didn't trust her.

"You can just drop us off." she coaxed. "We'll be fine."

"I'm not welcome in your home anymore?" he asked.

She wasn't sure how to answer that.

"I don't say that. It's just… I'm sure you have work to do." she said at last.

He glared at her and she looked away.

"It seems Gemma Harper's killer has been arrested. They don't need me at work." he said.

~ To Norma's great annoyance, Alex refused to leave her alone. He parked the SUV in her driveway, blocking the 'old girl' and refused to unlock the car doors until he was able to take Norman out of the car seat himself.

Although she would never admit it, Norma desperately wanted to pack a few bags, load up the boys in the old girl and drive out of town. She wanted to run away from White Pine Bay and never come back.

If Caleb could find her here, so could anyone. Her mother and father might be next. She had to run away. She had to leave and never look back.

"What's wrong, Norma?" Alex asked suspiciously.

Norma dropped her house keys while trying to unlock her front door and looked back at him in surprise. Her fingers not wanting to work properly from such an unpleasant surprise as Caleb's return.

"Nothing." she said innocently. "Nothing's wrong."

She saw that Alex didn't believe her. Saw that he was suspicious.

Romero remained silent and watched her finally unlock the door. He helped her with dinner while Norman played alone in the living room. Dylan was grounded to his own bedroom where his pet turtle was promptly taken away and placed on top of the china hutch.

"So tell me who is Caleb Calhoun." Alex said at last. They had been in an uncomfortable silence for about an hour now. Norma planned to hold out as long as he did to break their not talking. It was a small and worthless victory.

She shook her head.

"You don't know who he is?" Alex asked. His brows going up in surprise that she would even pretend not to know.

"I…" she said at last. It was so hard to talk.  
"It's easy enough to check." Alex told her. "Just one phone call to find out if you're his sister or not. Birth records are easy to trace, Norma. It's not something you should ever lie about."

She looked past him and focused on the water color drawing Dylan had done that was stuck on the fridge.

"Norma?" Alex questioned. "Why did you lie to me about your brother?"

"We had a falling out." she said at last. "It was a long time ago."

"When was the last time you saw him?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"A long time ago." she repeated.

Romero didn't seem to accept this.

"Why did you tell me he was dead?" he asked.

She shrugged and looked away.  
"Alex, I had… " she found it hard to breathe. "We had a very messed up childhood. It wasn't normal or safe. I left as soon as I could. I thought it was best to cut all ties to him. To my parents. It was easier to tell myself that he was dead."

"You said you and your brother were close." Alex reminded her. "I can understand your parents, why didn't you want to stay in contact with your brother?"

Norma shook her head.  
"Look it's personal." she snapped. "It's my business. My family's business!"

She tried to step away from him, but he grabbed her arm and pulled her back to him. He didn't hurt her, or scare her with his forcefulness, but she jerked her arms away from him all the same.

"I get that we all have demons in our past." he said honestly. "But this man will almost certainly be charged with Gemma Harper's murder. Do you really think your brother could have killed an eight year old?"

Norma felt her face fall. Her memories of Caleb were divided. Half of them were filled with his looking after her, of caring for her in the face of such brutality and horror. The other side was nothing but pain and humiliation at what he made her do with him. It was possible that Caleb could hurt another little girl like he'd hurt her.

She refused to look at Alex.

"Norma?" he asked.

She shook her head and looked at her feet.

"Norma, are you planning to leave town?"

She snapped her head up.

"No." she whispered.

"Norma."

"No. I'm not planning to leave town." she insisted. Her voice dark and dangerous.

"Because Caleb Calhoun had a lot of pictures in his van of you. It showed you'd lived all over the country. That you were used to constant traveling. I can call up Arizona and find out how often you've moved. Once Sheriff Wilson knows you're a flight risk, he'll have you put on house arrest."

"I haven't done anything, and I have the right to leave this town if I want to." she hissed.

"Your son is the victim of a kidnapping. The man who did it might also be implicated in a kidnapping and murder of an eight year old girl. Dylan will most certainly be called to testify if that happens." Alex explained. "Norma, if you try to leave town, I will arrest you."

"Oh, you'll arrest me, Deputy Romero?" she huffed angrily.  
"That's right I will." he said. "They allowed you to leave without questioning Dylan because they knew you'd be with me. I don't want you or Dylan going into that interrogation room until I know exactly why you lied about Caleb."

"We just had a falling out. That's it!" Norma spat.

"Stop." he warned.

"It's nothing. We just lost touch."

He was shaking his head. His expression dark and his eyes were angry. He'd never looked like that around her before.  
"It was just a falling out." She insisted quickly.

"Stop lying to me!" Alex shouted.

"Mother?"

They both turned to see Norman standing in the kitchen. His eyes were wide and frightened.

"It's okay, honey." Norma said quickly springing into action. "Alex was just telling me a joke. He had to shout the last part."

She quickly scooped her son up and kissed his forehead.  
"We're going to have dinner ready soon. Why don't you tell Dylan to wash up?" she asked.

~ Alex had to admit she could think of a lie quickly. Probably from so many years of hiding abuse at the hands of Sam. Lies that always involved explaining away bruises and other problems. Lies he'd seen battered women tell all too often.  
"Mother?" Norman asked again when she put him back down.

"It's okay. Go get your brother." she coaxed him.

Alex watched Norman reluctantly leave them and go into the bedroom he shared with Dylan.

"I think you should go." Norma said curtly as soon as the door was closed.  
"No, I don't think so. I think I need to stay the night." Alex argued.

"I don't want you to stay the night."

"I think if I don't stay the night that you're going to take the boys and run. If you do that, Norma, if you do that, I will find you and arrest you for hampering a police investigation." he explained.

"What are you going to do, Alex?" she said derisively. "Handcuff me to the bed?"

"Do I need to?" he asked.

~ Dinner wasn't quite as pleasant as it had been in the past. Dylan naturally assumed that the adults were still angry with him. That there was no movie or pleasant conversations because he'd gotten into a van with that strange man.

Norman was always quite and was only glad to be so close to his mother again.

"Dylan, you're going to go to bed early tonight." Norma informed her oldest once they'd finished eating. "We have to go to see Sheriff Wilson in the morning and you'll have to tell him what happened."

"Will I be in trouble?" Dylan asked. "With the Sheriff?"

"No." Alex said. "Just tell him the truth like you always do."

"That man said he was my uncle. I thought it was okay." Dylan said.

"My brother and I haven't talked in a long time, honey." Norma sighed.

Alex looked at her in surprise.

"He's not a good person, and I don't want him around you." she said sadly.

Dylan nodded.

"Did he say anything to you?" Norma asked her oldest. "About me?"

Norma's face was intensely curious. Like she needed to know or she would be ripped apart.

"He said that you two used to play fort. That you and him used to play war." Dylan said slowly. "That you and him used to play a lot and that you were best friends."

"Anything else?" Norma asked with baited breath.

Alex waited for Dylan to respond.

"Not really." Dylan said after some thought. "Just a lot about the places you lived. How you used to sew your own clothes. How you can play the piano. That you taught yourself to play the piano and you were really good at it."

Norma made a face of disgust and stood. She collected the dishes from around the table and Alex knew she was angry. Not at Dylan, but at Caleb and whatever he'd done to alienate his sister.

"Dylan, it's time for you to go to bed." Alex said gently. "Go take your bath."

Dylan nodded and left the table while Norma angrily started loading the dish washer.

"Are you going to leave?" the little boy whispered to Romero. "I heard you and Mom fighting."

"I'm not leaving, buddy." Alex whispered and smiled at him. "Your mom and I don't really fight. We just like to disagree sometimes. She likes to tell me I'm wrong and I like to tell her she's wrong. It's not serious."

"Okay." Dylan nodded.

The little boy hugged him and Alex was glad to feel the trust and comfort of the child's arms around his neck.

~ "I don't want to talk about it." Norma said after she'd given Norman his bath. Alex had waited in the living room for her to come back. She had patiently given the three year old his new medication and sent him to bed early to.  
"Fine." he said.

"I don't think Caleb could commit murder." she said. "It's been a long time since I last saw him, I mean, people change."

Alex watched her cleaning the kitchen. Her anxiety evident over her manic need to make everything perfectly clean.

"I know he has a violent side." she said when he didn't say anything. "I know that. I didn't tell you he was still alive because I didn't know for sure if he was. He… I just wanted to cut ties to my family. When I found out I was expecting Dylan, I… I just wanted to forget about them."

"Okay." Alex said.

"Did you talk to him?" Norma asked weakly. "My brother, did he say anything to you?"

Alex nodded.

"Just the usual 'I didn't do it speech'." he said. "The school security camera had his van in the parking lot the day Gemma and Dylan were taken. We didn't find any evidence of Gemma Harper in the van, bit it's too big of a coincidence to ignore."

He looked back at Norma. Her face had fallen.

"So he could have taken that girl." she finally admitted. A certain sadness was in her voice. A sadness that showed she'd given up hope. For a moment, Alex saw that sad little girl from those old pictures again. A sorrowful face of a child who knew nothing but pain and neglect.

Alex looked away. Gemma's glasses were in Blair Watson's bedroom. He was willing to bet that those same glasses would be found in Caleb Calhoun's van by morning. Wilson would be more than willing to frame someone like Caleb if it meant keeping Nick Ford happy.

"Caleb will go to prison." Alex said. "If and when he's found guilty."

"I know, if he killed that girl." she said. To Alex's horror, Norma started to cry. "He could have killed Dylan today." she said with a shaky breath.  
Alex stood up and went to her, his hands trying to catch hold of hers.

"Norma." he said. "The boys are safe. Everyone is safe."

"It was such a bad day." she said weakly. She managed to swallow her sorrow for a moment. "It started off so well to."

Alex had to agree that this morning had begun very promising. He felt his annoyance at Norma wash away when he thought about their shower together. How beautiful she looked with the water raining over her body.

"Yeah, It did." he whispered.

"I don't know what I would have done without you today." she sniffed. "With Norman's diagnosis, then with what happened to Dylan. I don't think I could have kept it together without you."

Alex nodded.

"We still have to talk to Wilson in the morning. You don't have to see your brother if you don't want to." he said gently. His hands came to rest on her hips and started to pull her into him.

"I don't want to." she cried. "See Caleb I mean. I don't ever want to see him."

"Alright." he said.

"Everyone in town will know he's my brother." her voice was like a whimper.

"No, they won't."

"He's going to tell-"

"You need to trust me, Norma." he interrupted. "All anyone in town is going to hear about is that Gemma Harper's murder has been caught. The paper wont even mention Dylan, I promise."

"I'm sorry." she whispered. "I'm sorry I lied to you."

Alex shook his head.  
"Let's just go to bed." he said.


	46. Chapter 46

46.

~ "Chaos really does swirl around me." Norma said sadly.

Alex brushed that ever troublesome strand of hair away from her face. They had made love so effortlessly that night, it was like they surely must have know one another in a past life. Hopefully a life that was free of such turmoil, and filled with nothing but boring days and lazy nights.

He kissed her forehead and reveled in the feel of her naked body under his.

"Am I too heavy?" he asked. He didn't want to roll off her. A sadistic part of him liked having her this way.  
"No." she said with a small grin. "It's nice."

"Very nice." he agreed happily.

"How did you know I wanted to leave?" she asked him. "That I wanted to run away?"

Their eyes met and he saw her's were luminous in the dim light of the room they shared. They gleamed like rare stones who's value could never be measured.

"I'm a cop, Norma." he explained with a slight smile. "I can tell when people are about to run or if they're lying to me. It's like a gift."

She looked sad, but amused at the same time.  
"What dose your cop instincts tell you about me?" she asked. "About us?"

He wanted to tell her how about his future plans for the two of them. How he pictured them in that forgotten farm house. How, because she had so much life inside her, she was the only one who could chase the ghosts away from his family home. He wanted to confess all these things to her, but when he saw how delicately her lips turned into a smile, he thought better of it.  
"Let me guess." she grinned. "You knew I'd be trouble the moment you saw me."

"I like trouble." he teased. "Trouble can be a lot of fun."

She started giggling softly when his lips caressed her neck.  
"You… um… you remember the first time we met?" he asked.

"Yeah you knocked Sam around and arrested him. I loved it. You were my hero." she said dryly.

"That's all I've ever wanted to be for you." he breathed.

He hadn't expected it to come out so bluntly. He hated the idea of being a white knight to anyone, but with Norma, things were always different once he was caught in her gravity. He wanted more than anything to keep her safe and happy. To keep that special light that was in her alive.

"I want to tell you about my brother." she whispered. Her face sad and lost. "Then, I never want to talk about him again. Okay?"

Alex nodded and felt her hands run over his back again.

She took a moment to collect herself. The words having trouble coming to the surface.

"When I was little, we moved around a lot. My dad took jobs when he could get them. I told you how there was never enough money or… enough of anything. We lived out of a van for over a year once. My brother and I barely went to school, we were really homeless." she said. Tears were starting to form in her eyes and Alex wiped them away with his thumb before they had a chance to fall.

"I finally started to understand that our lives weren't normal when I was about thirteen. I saw how other kids my age lived. My parents had us living in this horrible old house with no heat. We…" she swallowed hard. "We had nothing. Not decent clothes or even enough to eat most days. It was like my mother didn't even care that her children were suffering. There was no one to help us. We had to keep it secret. We were so ashamed of how we lived. So we just kept quite. I would go to school and I would see how other kids didn't have those problems. I wanted to be like the teachers I saw. I wanted nice clothes and a nice place to live. That's all I've ever wanted."

Norma was shaking and Alex was afraid she might cry again. He kissed her lips, giving her the strength to keep going on.

"I didn't know at first." she said with difficulty. "I didn't know that it wasn't my fault. When Caleb use to…"

She was breathing hard.

"Norma?" Alex asked. A fear started to boil deep inside him.

"My… my brother… he… he used to…" she said weakly and Alex knew then what had happened. His instincts in law enforcement telling him everything from the few clues she had given him.  
"It started with him touching me. I couldn't get him to stop. I couldn't make him not do it. I loved him, and at first I thought it would only happen that once and never again. We could forget it ever happened at all. Then, it just kept getting worse." she said.

It was like a flood gate opening. Her words tumbling out with no signs of slowing.

"I tried to tell my mother, but she blamed me." she said darkly. Her voice taking on a dead monotone that showed she'd worked hard to divorce herself from all her feelings. "She said to leave Caleb alone and he wouldn't do it. I had no one to go to for help. No one would have understood, and it just kept getting worse. It finally ended when I ran off with my boyfriend. I haven't seen Caleb or my parents since."

"Norma." he said gently. His hands were smoothing back her hair. That stubborn lock always wanting to break free.

"So, now you know why I wanted to run today. Now you know why I don't ever want to see my brother. So when you ask me if I think he killed that girl, I'm scared he did. I remember the brother who was my best friend and who protected me, but I also remember the teenage boy who used to beat me… who raped me." she whispered.

Tears were streaming from her eyes so quickly now that Alex couldn't slow them down.

"I'm so sorry, Norma." he said whispered.

"I just… I didn't tell you because… I didn't want you to look at me differently… because of what happened. What my brother did to me." she cried quietly. Her voice was still unsteady and she looked as though her heart would break. "I've always… I've always liked the way you look at me."

"The way I look you…" he whispered darkly. He could feel the disgust and anger growing inside him. "I've always loved looking at you. I always will. Nothing will change that."

She sobbed slightly, but it turned into a weak smile. He was kissing her, and felt her legs wrap around his hips. Her hands running over his shoulders.

"I don't want you to leave." he murmured when they briefly caught their breath again.

"I won't." she promised quickly.

"Never leave me." he ordered.

"I won't leave you." she said serenely.

He moved with her then, their bodies remembering that dance they instinctively knew so well.

~ Norma didn't want to go to the Sheriff's station at all that morning.

"Why can't Sheriff Wilson come to our house?" Norma asked when Alex brought her coffee.

"This has to be official, Norma." Alex told her. He was seated behind his desk and she was reminded of the night they first met. How different things looked with the passage of time.

It was six in the morning and the sun hadn't even started to rise yet. Everything was dark, but had that same electric feel of a new day. She'd gotten everyone up early, even Alex, to go down to the station so Dylan could give his statement and get it over with. She wanted everyone and everything to go back to normal as soon as possible.

Alex had driven them to the Sheriff's station where Wilson was more than happy to take Dylan's statement regardless of the hour. Little Norman hadn't been so thrilled with being woken up this early and was quick to fall asleep again as soon as they were settled at Romero's desk.

"Are you sure you want Dylan to go back to school today? Isn't it too soon?" Alex asked.  
"Yes, I'm sure." Norma insisted. "I've thought a lot about this. I want everyone in his class to see that he's fine and that he wasn't molested or hurt. You know that's what people are going to think if I keep him out for even one day."

Alex had to agree with that. The teachers and other staff at the elementary school knew Dylan had gotten into a stranger's van, that one teacher had sen that same tan and brown van the day Gemma Harper went missing from her own neighborhood. It was for he best if everyone saw the Dylan was okay right away. It was no good hiding it.

"The van was found in less than an hour after it was reported." Alex agreed. "Kids might not know about it at all. I was promised it wasn't even the paper."

"I just don't want Dylan to be labeled a victim." Norma said quickly. "If he goes back to school like nothing happened, then maybe no one will know or they'll forget."

"I hope so." Alex agreed.

"This coffee is terrible." Norma said.  
"I know."

"How do you drink it?"

"Carefully."

"Yuck."

Alex was grinning and she wondered if he was mocking her. His office chair rocking back and forth as they looked at each other.

"What?" she asked defensively.  
"Nothing." He smiled. "You just… look beautiful when you're being stubborn and annoyed."

"My God, I must look amazing all the time." she snorted and made the mistake of sipping the coffee again. "I'm always stubborn and annoyed at something."

"Yes, you are." Alex agreed with a sly grin.

Norma didn't like how flirty he was being just now.

"How long is Dylan going to be?" she asked.

"Not too long." Alex said. "Wilson is just going to ask him a few questions. That's all."

"Should I be in there? He's only six." Norma asked.

"There's a child's rights monitor with him." Alex told her. "In cases like these, the parent in the room might make the child lie so he won't get into trouble."

"Why wouldn't they let you into the interview?" Norma asked. "You're the first deputy."  
She saw Alex look slightly embarrassed.

"Because." he said slowly. "I'm having an intimate relationship with the child's mother. So, technically I'm off the case."

Norma's eyes went wide.  
"They know?" she asked. She looked around the station for signs Alex's buddies knew about their sex life.  
"It's a small town, Norma. Word gets around. I think they knew we were together when your car went into the bay." he said.

"Alex, we weren't even together then!" Norma hissed.

The deputy held up a hand defensively.

"It's not like I was bragging about us in the locker room." he explained. "People are just going to talk about us until they have something new to talk about."

Norma hated the idea of being gossiped about, but she knew she'd survived worse.

"You're right." she whispered.

She and Romero sat in silence before he nodded to the toddler who's head was on her lap.

"How's he doing?" he asked.

Norma looked down at her sleeping child. Her youngest was laid out on another chair beside her and was using her lap as a makeshift pillow.

"Well, I didn't find him asleep with his eyes open. I think he slept okay." she said. "I wish I could stay home with him today. I hate the idea of leaving him at daycare."

She didn't like confessing how much she needed every hour she could get if she was going to save up for a car.  
"Norma, you need to let me help you." Alex said.

"No."

"Yes." Alex argued. His voice sharp but had taken on a hushed tone because of Norman sleeping so close. "You've had a string of bad luck since you came here and I don't want you to have to suffer. If you need to take another day to help Norman feel better than I want you to take it. Hilary will understand."

"Alex, it's not that Hilary won't understand." Norma said darkly. She didn't like talking about this with him. Didn't like to admit defeat.

"Norma, when we leave here, and drop Dylan off at school, you and I are going through your bills and I'm going to help you pick up some of the slack." Alex decided.

"No, my bills are not your business." she whispered. The two of them talking quietly, but firmly to each other.

"They are now. I don't want you working a full time job just now when your son needs you at home. I can help you, I want to help you." he hissed.

"No."

"Yes."

"Alex, this is not your problem." she whispered harshly.  
"It is now."

"No it's not!" she said in loud whisper.

They both looked at Norman to make sure he was still sleeping.

"Look, Alex." she breathed. "We're together, but I don't feel right about taking money from you. It would make me feel… like I'm a…" she felt her face flush red.

"A prostitute?" he asked in a hushed voice.

"I was going to say a kept woman." Norma said feeling mildly insulted.

"Well, I can't afford a kept woman or a prostitute." Alex shrugged indifferently. "But I can help you with rent."

"Well, you're not going to, because I'm not taking your money." she whispered.  
"Well, see." Alex said lazily.

"No, we won't."

"Yeah, we will."

"Alex!"

"Shh!" Alex nodded to Norman. "You don't want to wake him."

Norma was glaring at the Deputy when Wilson walked out with Dylan.  
"Now, son you helped us catch a killer." the Sheriff was saying. "You've got the making of a fine Sheriff's deputy one day."

"Yeah." Dylan said happily.

Alex and Norma stood up when they saw Dylan was being released. Both of them trying to look innocent in front of Wilson. The Sheriff and Norma's son didn't seem to notice they were so close. Or if they did, they didn't care.

"Now, Dylan we need to talk about you going off with that strange man." Wilson added.

"Yeah. I've been grounded." Dylan said. His little face immediately falling. "Deputy Romero was really mad at me. He told me it would make my mom sad if I had died."

Norma looked to Alex. She'd never even thought about Alex lecturing Dylan about what had happened.

"Deputy Romero was right to be mad at you." Wilson said easily. "You were wrong to get in a strange man's van. Your mother is right to ground you to. So you need to accept that punishment and know that you're getting off easy. I'd hate to have to be the one to tell your mother that you'd been killed."

Dylan looked thoroughly humbled and repentant for what he'd done. Wilson looked up at Norma and Alex.

Little Norman was finally waking up enough to observe he wasn't in his bed.  
"Dylan gave us everything we need." Wilson said. "As far as the claim this guy is making that he's your brother, Mrs. Bates, we won't be releasing that information to the papers. I don't want the community thinking this asshole has anything to do with you or your boys here. All Caleb Calhoun has done is lie to us since his arrest."

"He's not my uncle?" Dylan questioned.  
"Dylan! Hush!" Norma hissed at him.

Alex turned to her and the boys.  
"I need to talk to Wilson." he said. "I'll meet you in the lobby."

"Okay, big shot." Norma nodded. She leaned down helping her youngest wake up and stand. Norman was in a good mood and she wished she could stay home with him.

~ Alex made sure Norma and the boys were well out of ear shot before he spoke to Wilson.  
"Let me guess." Romero said angrily. "Once that van was impounded you miraculously found Gemma Harper's glasses."

"And some blood and hair." Wilson shrugged carelessly.

Alex felt his face flush with rage.

"Caleb didn't kill Gemma Harper." he said. "You know it and I know it."

"I don't know that." Wilson said. "He kidnapped Norma Bates' son. He has three separate warrants out for his arrest for everything from battery, to aggravated assault, to gun running. He's our guy, Alex."

"He's **convenient** , Tom." Alex argued. "I'm not saying he's not a bad guy, but you want to send him away for murder when he didn't do it. That van was processed before it left the scene and nothing was found. Now suddenly there is all this evidence that takes Gemma Harper out of Blair Watson's home and into that van? Do you really think that's going to stick?"

"It will stick, Alex. Caleb Calhoun is going to be charged with Gemma Harper's murder. He will be found guilty. It's a done deal." Wilson said gravely.

"Blair Watson killed Gemma Harper. Her glasses were at her house." Alex insisted.

"Fine." Wilson shrugged. "We can let Caleb Calhoun go. All he did was pick up his sister's kid from school."

Alex felt his blood run cold. The memory of Norma's confession last night flooding his mind. Being hurt by a close family member, being unable to get away or get help must have been unbearable. Norma believed her brother was capable of murder. Caleb's police record proved he was violent. What if he was released and decided to come after her again?

"Everyone in town now knows we arrested Gemma Harper's killer. Imagine if it came out that the suspect in a child's murder, had a sister living here. That she was romantically involved with a high ranking deputy. Imagine what that would do to Mrs. Bates. Imagine what it would do to you." Wilson said darkly.

"Are you threatening me, Tom?" Romero asked.

"Not at all, Alex. Just imagine all that I told you, and then imagine we let someone like Caleb Calhoun go, and arrested a ten year old honor student." Wilson said.

Alex leaned away from Wilson.

"When did you sell out to Nick Ford?" Romero asked.

"Alex, there will come a time when you will bend the rules to get what you want. To keep what you have, to keep everyone around you safe. Do you really want Caleb Calhoun, with his record, to go free after serving time for just a few bench warrants?" Wilson asked.  
"No." Alex admitted truthfully. "What about Blair Watson?"

"What about her?" Wilson asked.

He nodded in the direction of Norma and the boys waiting in the lobby.  
"That's a very nice family, Alex. You finally have a chance for real happiness. Don't lose it because you have some misguided sense of morality." he said.


	47. Chapter 47

47.

~ "I really wish you would take the day off. Spend it with him." Alex said for what felt like the hundredth time. They had dropped Dylan off at school, explained to his teachers not to bring up anything about a kidnapping, and then drove Norman to daycare.

"Alex, it's going to be fine." Norma told him. "He's used to the kids here. He likes it."

She unhooked her youngest from his car seat and lifted him on her hip.

"You don't have to come in with us." she said when Romero got out of the SUV to walk them both inside.

Alex gave her a look that spoke volumes. The main theme being 'nice try'.

Norma explained to the workers about her son's diagnosis and how the medication might make him sleepy.

"So, if he's needing a nap, let him take one. If he starts to have a seizure, please just roll him on his side." she told them.

The two daycare workers were barely paying attention to her. They were focused on Alex. The younger woman, looked especially smitten.  
"I read you caught that child killer yesterday, Deputy." she said. "The paper you saved another kid from being killed."

"They have a suspect in custody." he said tersely.

"The paper said you found that man at a camp sight." another worker chimed in. All of them eager for information and their attention was only on Alex. "Was the poor baby hurt at all?"

"The victim was fine, and I didn't find the suspect, that was the cooperative efforts of local police. They made the arrest." Romero told them.  
"The paper said you were there."

"I was there, but I didn't make the arrest and I wasn't the one who found the victim." he said curtly.

Norma looked back at Alex and saw that he was uncomfortable being questioned. She didn't like people calling her brother a child killer, but knew she had to shake it off. She hated her brother, but she couldn't bring herself to hate him so much that she wanted him to go to prison and have people rejoice about it. Even if he did kill that poor girl.

She also didn't like the way these women were so enamored with Alex. As if they stared at him long enough he might fall in love with them.

"My son's medication?" Norma interrupted.  
"Yes, we've had kids with epilepsy before, Mrs. Bates." the younger woman said curtly.

"Please just call me if Norman has any issues." she told the two women.

The daycare worker nodded and looked back at Alex.  
"Deputy, we sure are grateful you're around." she said.

"Thank you, but it wasn't all me." Romero reminded her dryly.

~ "Why does everyone think you arrested Caleb?" Norma asked.

Alex felt uncomfortable even talking about it.

"I think the paper might have gotten some facts wrong. They may have seen me there and assumed I was the one in charge." he said coldly. "Sheriff's department oversees the county after all."

"They love to make you the hero, don't they?" she said with a soft smile.

"Yes, they do." Alex told her. He didn't really want this kind of attention. He didn't ask for it and it wasn't deserved.

Romero drove her to work and then the few block to the Sheriff's station. Technically he was off the case, but he wasn't willing to let Caleb be framed for murder without speaking to him first. No one at the Sheriff's station ever questioned Romero's actions. Especially not these days, so he was able to waltz into the holding cell without a second glance.

Norma's brother looked to be having a fit of the sulks in his solitary jail cell. His face was pulled into an almost child like frown and Alex was sure he'd never seen such a case of the 'poor me' from any suspect, guilty or not.

"Have you spoken to your lawyer yet?" Romero asked by means of starting the conversation.

Caleb looked up and Alex saw the resemblance to Norma was striking. Dylan must have taken after Norma's side of the family because the child greatly favored his uncle.

"Yeah." Caleb said simply. "They gave me this public defender. He told me, I should plead guilty so I'd get less time."

"Is that what you're going to do?" Romero asked sharply.

"I didn't kill no girl." Caleb said. "Everyone saying I did, but I didn't. I don't want to go to prison for thirty years for something that I didn't do."  
"Well, with good behavior you'll be out in fifteen. Maybe." Romero said dryly.

Caleb seemed even more heartbroken.  
"You were there." he said to Romero. "Yesterday. At the camp ground. You said that she was with you. Norma Louise was with you and you knew Dylan. That you were taking him back to his mom."

Romero looked away from Caleb. He tried to keep his face hard and unyielding. Tired not to show this disgusting man anything.  
"You know Norma Louise? You know my sister? She was with you yesterday, so you must know her." Caleb asked hopefully.

"The victim's mother was with me." Romero admitted. He had kept his response simple. He wasn't about to give away anything that could hurt Norma.

"Why… why was she with you? Are you two… together? She's… she's dating a cop?" Caleb asked innocently.

Romero glared at Caleb and said nothing. It was evident that Caleb's speech impediment wasn't from drinking. That his words were always slurred and broken.

"Is she… is she married to you?" Caleb asked. His face showing concern. "Is that why you've framed me for that girl? Because Norma Louise is your wife?"

"No one's framed you for anything." Romero responded. In his mind, he could easily see Caleb bashing in Gemma Harper's head. He could see Caleb with his large body pinning Norma to the floor and forcing himself on her. A younger Norma, too small and weak to defend herself from the attack from such a large man. Alex felt rage build inside him.

He leaned forward and looked Caleb Calhoun, rapist and child killer, right in the eye.

"Why don't you tell me the truth. Why did you take her son?" he asked.

Caleb shook his head.  
"It's not like that. I came here, and I saw her in town the other day. I saw her dropping that boy off at that nice school. He looked just like her when we were little. I just… wanted to meet him, you know? He reminded me so much of when we were kids." he said.

"How did you know she was even here? In this town? She didn't tell you." Romero said.

"No. No, she hasn't talked to me since she got knocked up by some kid in high school." Caleb said with a pitiful sob. Romero noticed that both Caleb and Norma sniffed when they cried. A child like trait of stopping snot from running out of the nose. They both put the back of their hand to their nose to.

"No, I had seen this newspaper article about a car going into the water and a woman rescued with her kids. It was sheer luck that I saw it to, I don't usually read the paper." he explained.

"How did you know it was your sister?" Romero asked.  
"Norma isn't a common name for a girl her age. She… she was named after our grandmother. So, so then I called up to the hospital and asked for her full name and they told me. Even gave me her birthday so I knew for sure. I told them I was family." Caleb said.

Deputy Romero rolled his eyes. Figures the hospital would give out any information to a stranger on the phone.

"Why come here at all if you knew she didn't want to see you?" he asked.

"I… well I'd hope she'd want to see me. I mean… we used to be real close-" Caleb started to say.

"She doesn't." Romero interrupted. "She doesn't want to see you. She believes you killed that girl and you kidnapped her son. She doesn't want to see you."  
"I didn't kill that girl." Caleb said pitifully. "I don't know who you're talking about. Why… why would Norma Louise think I would hurt anyone?"

"Aside from the fact you have a few warrants out for beating your ex girlfriend in Kansas. An aggravated assault charge from a bar fight in Oklahoma. Illegal firearm trafficking in Michigan and Ohio. She doesn't know the full extent of your colorful background. No, she believes you're a child murder because she knows you're capable of hurting a young girl." Romero responded. He could feel his blood pressure rising. He hated Caleb Calhoun.

"I didn't hurt any girl." Caleb said quickly. "Ever."

"Don't." Romero warned. "I know what you did to your sister. She told me everything."

The words felt like sand in his mouth. He couldn't even form the word 'rape' when he thought of Norma.

"I don't know what she told you, but it's a lie. I didn't do any-"

"Stop." Romero warned. The Deputy leaned forward again and assessed the man who was his lover's greatest shame. Caleb Calhoun was lying. He denied hurting his own sister too quickly. He acted too innocent. Too ready to blame his victim and call her the lier when Romero didn't even say the word rape.

"You're going to prison for a very long time for murder. Your appointed attorney won't get you off, that's a given." he said in a voice that was perfectly calm and almost benevolent. "If by some miracle you're released early…" Romero looked around to make sure that they were alone and no one would over hear them. He turned back to Caleb. "Well, I'll be sure to find you, and I'll break you. I think we understand each other."

Caleb looked thunderstruck and said nothing.

"Don't ever try to contact Norma or her children again. Things will go very badly on the inside for you if you do. It doesn't take much to bribe some of your fellow inmates to break your legs in the shower room one day. Are we clear?" Romero said. He kept his voice soft and steady while making such gruesome threats to the man across from him.

Caleb looked away from Romero and the deputy was about to leave.

"Do me a favor, man." Caleb said at last. Romero turned back to him.

The prisoner already looked heartbroken. Like his whole world had ended a long time ago. Like he had been living in a nightmare for years.

"I get that you have to be mean to me. That you think I'm the bad guy." Caleb said in that child like way of bargaining. He sounded like Dylan when he didn't get something he wanted. "Listen, if you care about Norma Louise, just please be good to her. She hasn't had it easy. Our dad was the most violent man I ever knew. He used to beat on her so bad, she couldn't even walk once. Our mom was just checked out on pills or something. They used to leave us alone for weeks at at time when we were really young. Norma Louise, she needs to have some goodness in her life. I… I can tell you're a good man. You care about her and her kids. Just, just do right by her. Please?"

Romero kept his face like stone. He wouldn't answer to anything this man said. He turned and walked away.

~ Norma was glad to see Alex had come to pick her up from work after a busy day.

"How was your day, dear?" she teased him when he let himself into the kitchen that was Hilary's catering company. The other cooks were on a catering job and they were alone. So she was free to torment him as much as she liked.

"Productive." he admitted with a smile. "How was yours?"

She leaned over and kissed him as though they had always greeted each other like this. A kiss that was a habit, rather than a display of affection. Her catering work was almost done and she just had prep work to do for tomorrow.  
"Really good. I had another wedding cake to do and it turned out really beautiful. Five tiered, it was the biggest one I ever made. I never knew I could make a wedding cake." she said proudly.  
"That's great." he said looking as impressed as a man could when talking about decorative cakes.

"I'll be done in a few minutes. Just have to finish these tarts. Do you want to wait with me?" she asked hopefully.

"Yeah." he agreed and pulled up one of the stools by her work counter.  
"So, you do this all day?" he asked. "Bake cakes and food?"

"I never thought there was such a need for catering in a town this small." Norma laughed. "But I guess everyone needs to be feed. Hilary must make a decent profit from it. She's always booked solid."

"You cook all day here and go home and cook again?" Alex asked.

Norma shrugged.

"We still have to eat." she admitted.

"I need to take you out to dinner." he said.

Norma looked reluctant.

"I've just been so worried about the boys, I don't want to leave them alone. Even for a nice date night with you." she admitted.

"We need a date night, Norma. I'm not taking no for an answer." he said plainly.

She gave him her classic annoyed look before she allowed herself to smile.

"Fine." she agreed.

"By the way, I stopped by Sybil's place and got you this." he said shyly. He reached into the front pocket of his jacket, and handed her an old and yellowed envelope.

Norma opened it carefully to examine the brittle looking legal papers inside.

"The title to the Mercedes?" she asked. "What is this? Why do you have this?"

"I bought the Mercedes from Sybil today. For you." Alex explained.

Norma felt something more horrible than annoyance rush over her.

"You know, that's the original title with her father's name on it and everything. We're going to have to take it to the courthouse and get it worked out before we put your name on the new title and then we can get it properly inspected. For a social worker, Sybil doesn't like paperwork very much." he said playfully.

"Alex, why would you do this?" Norma breathed. She felt slightly betrayed by him and angry at herself for not being able to accept his gift gladly.  
"You needed a car, and I know you love that car." Alex explained. "It's in really good condition to. I was surprised when I went to the house today to check under the hood. Sybil must have had someone work on it who knew what they were doing."  
"How much?" Norma demanded.

"Don't worry about that."

"No, how much?"

Alex shook his head.

"It's too much. Alex it's a Mercedes Benz for God sake. I can't accept it." she insisted.

"Yes, you can. Just take the car. I mean it." he said harshly. "I want to help you, you won't let me. This is how I'm going to help you. It's going to be your car, in your name, Norma. I want you to have it and not worry about car payments."

Norma's vision became blurry, and she tried not to cry.  
"You need to take the car." Alex insisted. "Sybil told me it won't effect your benefits to buy such an older model, so don't worry about that."

Tears were falling freely now and Norma couldn't hold them back.  
"Please, don't be mad at me." Alex sighed. "All I ever wanted was to be good to you."

"I'm not crying because of that." Norma said with a sob. She sniffed and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

Alex was looking at her sadly.

"I just… I… I never had anyone do anything for me like this." she admitted. She looked over the title from when the 'old girl' was new. Sybil's father's handwriting was awful but she was reminded of how he'd bought his wife the car off the lot. Just because he wanted her to have something nice to drive. Norma had thought then that men like that were extinct, but somehow she'd found one. Alex had given her this same car because he wanted her to have it. He wanted her to have something nice that she wold love.

Her arms were around him and she was holding him tighter than she'd ever hugged anyone.  
"Thank you." She cried softly. "Thank you."

"So, I guess this means I'm getting lucky tonight, right?" he whispered hopefully.

She started to laugh and couldn't stop.

 **~ So I was actually shopping for Norma's Mercedes Benz online and found out Alex may have dropped anywhere from 10-30 GRAND on a car like this easy. Lets just pretend that Sybil gave him a good deal or something. Cuz… Day-um!**

 **~ I wanted to address some concerns I got after the last chapter. That Alex on the show would have thrown Caleb in prison without a second thought. That Alex is corrupt and I've written him to be a little too Prince Charming like, and little too possessive and helpful.**

 **On the show, it's more than a decade in the future from this story. Alex is bitter and fighting a losing battle in WPB. Here, it's fifteen years before, and he still has his principles. Also, on the show, Alex couldn't look away from the fact he sent the wrong man to prison for the murder of Blair Watson. Although it was a bad man, he wasn't the killer.**

 **In this story, Alex is willing for Caleb to go to prison so Norma can be free of him. A huge sacrifice to his morals and to prove just how far he will go to preserve his own interests. As for him being too possessive and helpful, on the show, this is a man who killed Bob Paris in cold blood because there was the chance the guy would spill the beans about how Sam Bates was really killed by Norman. This is the same man who married Norma and gave her his mother's ring. The same man who paid for the pit to be filled in and who became Price Charming for her in just two weeks.**

 **I think the younger, more idealistic Deputy Alex Romero would be more helpful and kind to Norma than the older Sheriff Alex Romero.**

 **I love constructive criticism, guys. It helps me improve my story. Keep it up!**


	48. Chapter 48

48.

~ By the time Saturday arrived, Norma was convinced her life was heaven. Or as close to heaven as she was likely to be while still alive. Alex had all but moved into her home with the boys and she didn't know it was possible to be so happy. Just seeing his police SUV parked next to her green Mercedes, as if these objects belonged together and were a couple to, made her feel lighter than air.

Dylan had benefited from Alex being around to. Although he was still grounded, her oldest child was much calmer with Alex there.

Alex had been rather innovative with Dylan's punishment. The child having to learn to do some light yard work with him that morning. Norma watched Dylan clear the back yard of broken tree limbs so Alex could cut the grass. After that, there were all kinds of masculine jobs they were planning to do today. They were just lucky the sun was out that Saturday and the cold had simply vanished. It almost felt like summer rather than a week shy of Halloween.  
"We have to run a few errands, Norma." Alex told her. "But I'll have him home before dark."  
"Alex?" she questioned. He turned back to her. "I don't want him to have a good time with you. He's still grounded."

She knew exactly what would happen. They would go to awful fast food place and eat something horrible, then drive around town doing errands that Dylan would love because they weren't the kind of thing he did with his mom. Probably go to the hardware store or to an auto shop or something.

"I can blast some really terrible country music on the radio." Alex told her. "But that only punishes both of us."

"I think I have an old Conway Twitty tape." Norma grinned sarcastically.

"God, you're cruel." Alex laughed and kissed her goodbye before meeting Dylan outside.

~ "Where are we?" Dylan asked.

Alex had driven them to the family farm and up the drive to the house. He nodded to the tightly shuttered windows.  
"This is the house I grew up in." he explained.  
Dylan looked impressed.  
"It's big." he said.  
"It didn't used to be." Alex admitted. "When it was first built, a long time before my dad was even thought of, it had only one large room."

"Really? Where did everyone sleep?" Dylan asked.

Alex grinned.

"Everyone had shared just one room." he said.

"I don't like sharing a room with my brother." the little boy admitted.

Alex smiled.

"Dylan, I need you to help me take the storm shutters off the windows." he said. "It's very easy, and then we can work on the yard." he said.

The little boy had been just s eager to learn about storm shutters as he was about fishing or cutting the grass. Anything that had to do with 'Man's Work' was fascinating to him.

It took Alex, even with the riding lawnmower, the better part of two hours to mow all the grass on the property. Dylan had been good about picking up fallen branches.

"What do we do now? Dylan asked hopefully.

"Now?" Alex sighed. "We have to do some lights. Then, were going to do something to the barn."

"What?" Dylan asked.  
"We have to paint it." Romero told him.

"Red?" the little boy asked nodding to the weathered and faded wood of the barn his father and grandfather built together. It was in serious need of a new paint job.

"No, we're going to paint part of it white." Alex explained.

"Why?"

"You'll see."

It took much longer than he'd have liked, but Alex was satisfied with the way everything looked when they were done. He was glad he had the electric hooked back up to the old house. He forgot how cheerful it looked when the storm shutters were off and light was flowing through the windows. It was like the house was simply asleep all these years. Waiting to be woken up and made a home again.

"What's in that old barn anyway?" Dylan asked when they were almost done.  
"Lots of junk." Alex admitted. "Also a really cool old car. You wanna see?"

Dylan nodded and Romero let him charge ahead into the barn. The little boy breathed in delight at the sight of the what and blue and white classic sitting there with new tires and shining to a mirror finish.

"Wow!" the little boy exclaimed. "Is this your car?"

"It was my mother's car." Alex admitted. For the first time in recent memory, he didn't feel pain at mentioning his mother's passing. "She passed away and left it to me."

"Is it a boy car or a girl car?" Dylan asked.

"Cars and ships are always girls." Alex explained promptly.

"Why?"

"Because men love them and want to take care of them."

"What's her name?"

Alex laughed a little.  
"I don't think we ever named this car." he admitted.

"Mom's car is 'the old girl'."

"Why don't you give her a name?" Alex offered.

"Lucy." Dylan said with very little thought. "Her name is Lucy."

"Very nice name." Alex agreed. "I think it suits her. Lucy it is."

"Do you still drive her?" Dylan asked.  
"I haven't for a while. I had to put new tires on her and change all the fluids. You and I are going home in this car." Alex said proudly. "Then, I'm taking your mom out in it."  
"Mom will love Lucy." Dylan said with wide eyes.  
"I hope so." Alex agreed.

~ Norma had to put her youngest to bed early. The seizure medication making it hard for him to stay awake. The pharmacist told her he would get used to it, but she hated to see her son so sedated all the time.

All he wanted to do was sleep now.  
"Mister Sandman, bring me a dream. Make him the cutest that I've ever seen." Norma sang while tucking him into bed. It was barely six and already Norman was dozing off. She had tried to keep him up till at least nightfall, but he wasn't going to make it. So she gave him dinner and his bath, and put him to bed.

"Sandman, I'm so alone. Don't have nobody to call my own. Please turn on your magic beam. Mister Sandman, bring me a dream." she sang. Her youngest chid already asleep and oblivious to the waking world.

She was lonely in the house with Norman asleep and Dylan and Alex gone. She'd been so used to the noises the boys made and found the quite and the solitude upsetting.

She cleaned for a little while an turned the radio on for company. She was glad when Dylan burst through the door with Alex a short time later.

Her oldest was dirty and sweaty and wore a big grin on his face.  
"Mom!" he said excitedly. "Deputy Romero has a farm and we have Lucy outside-"

"Dylan!" Alex snapped.

Norma looked up to see Alex was signaling the child to be quite.  
"Who's Lucy?" Norma asked suspiciously.

"No one." Alex said innocently.  
"Dylan, if you've brought a dog home-"

"No, that's not it." Alex assured her.  
"It's not a dog." Dylan grinned. "Can we have a dog?"

"No." Norma said quickly. "You have your turtle. Now, Norman is asleep and I want you to go wash up. I'll start dinner.

"I was actually going to tell you to go get changed." Alex said  
Norma looked at him curiously. She hadn't noticed before, but he was dressed in a dark suit and tie. She wasn't used to seeing him looking like this. He was normally in his uniform or dressed in the layered shirts without end.

He looked very nice. Although she would never admit it.  
"For what?" she asked she asked.

Alex looked like he was up to something.

"Just go get changed. Something nice, but comfortable." he said.

"Why?" she asked.

"Just go get changed."

"Tell me why."

"I'm trying to be romantic here, Norma."

"By telling me I need to change?"

"Yes."

"Well, that's very romantic. Gold star, deputy."

"Just go get changed and I'll order a pizza for the boys. I have a present for you." he explained.

Norma tried to gage exactly what was happening, but decided to just see what Alex had in mind instead of arguing with him.

She made Dylan start his bath first and then went to her room to re-dress. Nice but comfortable had a lot of meanings. Did Alex want to take her out? It would have been poor planning on his part. She didn't have a sitter for Norman and Dylan. Plus, Norman was still getting used to his medication. She wouldn't be able to leave him with a sitter anyway.

She got dressed, knowing full well that Alex hadn't thought this idea of his through and she would have to change again. At least there would be pizza and she wouldn't have to cook. She selected a dark blue dress with white lace around the hem. It was more of a summer dress, but she hadn't had the chance to wear it before now and today had been unseasonably warm.

She quickly slipped it on and admired how the carefully designed panels made the skirt flare out in that vintage style she wished would make a comeback. She combed out her hair and even put on a little make up. She may as well look the part.

When she came back out, Alex was talking to a young woman with dark hair and a hot pink bedazzled jacket.

She stopped short at the way they were both smiling at each other. Who was this woman and why was she in her home?

"Hello?" Norma asked this new visitor.

"Norma, this is Callie White." Alex explained. "She's the best baby sister in town."

"Hello." Callie said with a wave and a bright, girl-next-door smile.

"Nice to met you." Norma said suspiciously.

She turned to Alex.

"Babysitter?" she asked.

"We're going out so we need a sitter." he said.

Norma turned back to the infamous Callie White.  
"Look, I don't know if you know this, but my youngest son has epilepsy and he's on a new medication."

"That means he may have a severe loss of appetite and the need for more sleep." Callie said sympathetically. "Those symptoms should level off after a few months."

Norma looked at the girl completely dumbfounded.

"I've been baby sitting a long time, Mrs. Bates. I'm also planning to go to nursing school after I finish college." Callie explained. "I've already logged in several hours as a student aide at the hospital."

"Told you she's the best." Alex explained. "She's also impossible to book and demanded a small fortune. So let's go."

He took, Norma's hand and she pulled away.  
"What about Dylan?" she asked quickly. "He doesn't even know her."

"I think Dylan's cool with it." Alex said with a grin.

Norma was about to question that when her oldest son came out of his bedroom carrying the aquarium with the turtle in it.

"I introduced them." Alex explained quietly while Norma watched her son, obviously completely smitten by his new sitter tell her all about the turtle and how he cares for it.  
"We can take him outside to." Dylan said.  
"No." Norma told him. "It's almost dark out."

"We can do that next time. Lets just work on the craft projects I brought." Callie said. "I bet you're really good at them."

"I am." Dylan said confidently. His eyes were bight and Norma was sure he was already madly in love with this girl.  
"We'll be home late. Money for the pizza is by the phone." Alex said to Callie. She nodded and waved at them.

"Norman's already asleep and Dylan had his bath. He goes to bed at eight thirty on a school night, but he can stay up an hour later on Saturdays." Norma explained.

"Take care of the house, buddy." Alex said to Dylan. "I'm counting on you."

Norma grabbed her purse, and reluctantly, let Alex push her to the door.  
"Are you sure about this?" she asked once they were out on her porch. The fall air feeling like it was still summer on her skin.  
"I'm sure we need a night out. Yes." Alex said.

"No, about a sitter with the boys." Norma asked.

"I'm sure Dylan will behave for Callie. Boys tend to be on their best behavior around a girl they really like."

"Well, that's simply not true." Norma said dryly. "You're never on your best behavior."

"Cute." Alex said with only mild annoyance.

She gave him a soft teasing smile that she knew meant he couldn't stay mad at her, and saw his eyes flicker with delight. Alex's hand was on the small of her back when they reached the driveway.

She spotted a pristine classic car sitting innocently in front of her garage. It was a late fifties model painted a lovely blue and white. It even had matching hub caps and white wall tires to complete the look.  
"Who's car is that?" she nodded.  
"Mine." Alex said casually.

"That's not your car." she laughed.

"Sure it is." he said. "He name is Lucy."

Norma looked at him in disbelief. She watched as his eyes moved over her dress in appreciation.  
"You look perfect by the way." he said.  
"Thank you. What are you up to?" she asked.  
"Nothing." he grinned.  
"Alex."

"Nothing." he said with an even wider grin. "Hop in, we're going out to dinner."


	49. Chapter 49

49.

~ Norma let out a slight giggle when she climbed into the passenger side of Alex's 'Lucy'. The seats on cars from back when Lucy was new were designed much differently. It was like she was jumping on a bed just to get comfortable.

"Well, I don't know where you found this car, but it's great." Norma said once Alex was settled in the front seat beside her. He turned the ignition and Lucy roared to life. Her dashboard lit up and the radio started playing a Glenn Miller song.

She reached for her seatbelt and her hand came up empty.

"Alex, there's no seat belts." she gasped.  
"No, they wouldn't have had them back in 1957. They had only these anchor belts and they were more dangerous, so my dad took them out." he explained and put the car in reverse. Lucy rolled out of Norma's driveway with amazing grace and turned around just as easily. The old car didn't have the kind of interior that muffled sounds so the noise around them seemed amplified. Alex put her in drive and she charged down the lane causing Norma to grip the dashboard for fear of being bounced around too much.  
"They weren't big on shocks back then either." Alex explained happily.

"This car has no seat belts!" Norma shouted.  
"I know!" Alex shouted back. "Don't worry if we get pulled over, I'll talk them out of a ticket."

"Did my son ride in this car with no seat belts?"

"Of course not! That would be dangerous! I made him ride in the trunk!"

"Alex!" Norma gasped. He was laughing at her.

"He told you I said that?" she cried in mortification.  
"He asked me if it was true." he told her. A large smile on his face at her suffering.  
"What did you say?"

"That he wouldn't want to find out."

~ Alex drove them through town and slowed Lucy down enough to see and be seen. Norma had to admit, the world looked different from the front seat of an old car like this. People shopping the downtown area couldn't help but look at them and Norma felt like she was in a parade. It was so pleasant, with Lucy drifting so lazily down main street, she kicked off her shoes and leaned in closer to Alex.

"You know most of the time, cars this nice are owned by older men." she mused happily.

"Yeah, who are having a midlife crisis." Alex agreed. "Trying to pick up younger women."

"Those guys are the worst."

"They really are."

"Promise me you won't be like that. That you won't be fifty and trying to pick up college girls, just to prove you're still young."

"I won't. I'll just let myself get really fat from all your cooking and give up hope of ever being attractive to anyone."

"That's all I ask." she said quickly.

Alex was smiling and Norma felt her cheeks grow warm. Maybe she had belatedly realized he had subtly expressed a desire to be with her for years to come.

"So who's car is this?" she asked. "I mean really."

"Really?" her teased. He kept one hand on the large steering wheel and rested his right arm over her shoulders. Norma moved closer to him and laid her head in his arm.

"It belonged to my mother." he admitted. "Before that, it was her brothers. He'd bought it new and then got drafted. He never came home."

"Oh." Norma said sadly.

"Long before I was even thought of." Alex shrugged. "My mother loved this car and my dad took very good care of it. I've kept it locked up, but decided it was time to drive her again."

"With no seat belts?"

"With no seat belts."

Alex made an easy turn of the wheel and Lucy gently maneuvered into a free space in front of a secluded restaurant.

"Oh." Norma breathed. "I haven't been to a real restaurant since Norman was born."

She peered into the front window and saw the place looked very intimate and cozy.

"My buddy owns this place." Alex said. "They make a great stake."

Norma wanted to cry at the idea someone else would be serving her for a change. She quickly skirted out of the car before Alex could open her door like a gentleman.  
"Always so obstinate." he teased.

~ Maybe heaven, if she ever got there, was dinner in this fancy restaurant where there was champagne that didn't taste like champagne, but like candy. She had decided that when she died, she wanted to relive this night forever. To be driven slowly around town in that beautiful old car, by her handsome knight in shining armor and then enjoy a perfect dinner in this charming restaurant.

She hadn't missed the looks of admiration and wonder people had given them when they walked in. No doubt, everyone seeing Lucy arrive and Alex Romero, the local hero waltz in with a date.

Norma felt her cheeks glow hot with the pride of being seen with him. Of having his hand planted firmly on the small of her back and leading her into the room. The restaurant was painted white with amazing light fixtures casting refracted rainbows everywhere. Candles and fresh flowers were on every table, and there was even white linen table clothes. She had never been to such a beautiful restaurant.

Unsure of what to get, she followed Alex's recommendation and ordered the chicken.

"Wow, your friend has very nice taste in decorating." Norma breathed.

"Well, I think his wife did most of this." Alex mused. "Men aren't this good at decorating. We think stolen municipal property is great wall art."

Norma smiled.

"Don't forget the big screen TV." she added.

"How could I?" he grinned. "Or the beer can pyramid?"

"Or some neon sign from a strip club."

"Don't laugh I have one of those. It's in my living room."

"No, you don't!" she giggled.

"Looks great to." he added. "Really classes up the place."

"You know I've never been your place." she realized suddenly.  
"It's nothing special. Just an apartment with very little furniture and a big screen TV." he admitted.

"And stolen street signs on the wall." she added.

"And a futon."

"Oh, no!" she laughed. "Alex, that's horrible."

"Hey, don't judge. I didn't close the bachelor life, it chose me."

Norma was smiling and felt her courage rise up.

"Well, it might not always be that way." she said softly.

"I hope not." he agreed.

~ They didn't have time to flirt and argue after that, because their food arrived. Norma had never tasted such chicken in her life.

"I think they use goat cheese." she said. "It's good."

"You should write restaurant reviews." Alex mused when she had deconstructed their dinner by it's ingredients.

"I can't exactly go out that often with the two boys. Do you have any idea what a nightmare it is to have small children in a restaurant?" she asked.

"The boys are pretty well behaved." he told her.  
"From what you've seen." she balked. "You've never seen how Dylan gets in the grocery store."

"But its' not all bad."

"No, it's not all bad. I am glad Norman is getting older and there are no more dippers or colic, teething or midnight feedings." she sighed in relief. "Babies, you know, they just take so much out of you all the time. You never have second for yourself or for anyone else. If you try to do what you want, you just feel selfish and like you're a bad mother. I'm glad that I can finally start to feel normal again. Not just be this 'Mother' creature all the time."

Norma caught Alex looking a little disturbed by what she said. He took a sip of champagne and didn't look at her.

They ate silently until their meal was finished. Norma wondered if she'd said something to upset him. She was always teasing him about everything, but did she insult him thinking it was just apart of their sparring?

He answered her question when he took her hand and smiled gently.

"Let me pay the tab, and I've got one more surprise for you." he said.

~ It was dark outside when Alex finally escorted Norma out of the restaurant and back to Lucy. There was a slight chill in the air and she was regretting not bringing a sweater. Still it was worth the cold to see the look on Alex's face in when she wore this dress. She could tell that he liked her to wear dresses like this. A wardrobe that evoked another era and that showed off the female form without exposing anything.

"What's this other surprise?" Norma asked.  
"If I told you that, it wouldn't be a surprise would it?" he teased her.

"Okay." she smiled and curled up to him while he easily backed Lucy out of the parking lot.

He was driving them out of White Pine Bay and down a series of lonely country roads that would be easy to get lost in if you didn't know the way by heart.

"Alex?" she asked after he turned off the paved road. She was growing a little worried he wasn't taking her home or to some other location in town.

"It's just up ahead." he whispered.

She squirted through the trees when she saw the lights of a house.

"Where are we?" she asked when Alex turned into a dirt paved driveway. Almost immediately, she gasped at the lights.

There were white christmas lights strung up in the trees around the house and nearby barn. Alex must have carefully arranged all the lights to chase the darkness away and the whole place looked magical. Norma couldn't take her eyes off the sights of a picture perfect farm house with a sweeping wrap around porch and large bay windows. The large, old fashioned barn that was actually painted red. Then there was the fact that the white Christmas lights were strung from the barn to the house so that the entire property was bathed in a warm, enchanting glow.

"Where are we?" she whispered.

Alex seemed indifferent to the spectacle around them. He pointed at the large, ranch style farm house and nodded.

"That's… that's the house I grew up in." he admitted with a shaky breath.

"You grew up here?" she asked.

Alex looked away from the house and Norma saw his jaw working slightly.

"My God." she breathed. "You literally grew up on this beautiful farm?"

She couldn't believe how lucky he was to have so much space and freedom. It was like a Rockwell waiting come to life. Only better because it was real.

Alex's head perked up a little.  
"Well, we didn't have these lights. Dylan heaped me with some of them today." he admitted. "I thought you might like them."

He allowed Lucy to roll lazily up to the barn and stop.

"What's that?" Norma asked with a laugh. "You painted the side of the barn white?"

"That's your surprise." Alex said with that same mischievous grin.

"What is it?" Norma demanded with a feeling of pure glee rushing through her body. This must be what it's like for a small child on Christmas morning.

"Come on." he nodded and opened his door.

Norma didn't need to be told twice, with her ever ready energy, she sprang out of the car and rushed to meet him. She didn't even have a chance to put her shoes on.

"What is it?" she asked excitedly. She tried to keep herself from bouncing up and down.

"It's this." Alex said and nodded to a small table directly across from the barn with it's newly painted exterior wall. There was a wooden box with the letters WPBSD painted on it.

Norma wasn't sure what he was doing, but she noticed the long extension cord going from the table to the house.  
"Technically, this is on loan from the Sheriff's department. We used to use it for training. It's the only one I could actually find. You wouldn't believe how hard it is to get one of these things." Alex explained. His back was to her and she couldn't see what he was doing. She heard a lot of loud popping noises and then a whirr started up. Alex moved out of the way and Norma saw a bright light splash over them both. She quickly stepped out of it's path and looked in wonder as it landed on the barn's wall.

She couldn't stop staring at the black and white logo that accompanied the music. The music score, rich with feeling, playing somewhere over the rainbow.

"Alex?" Norma questioned in disbelief. He had turned the barn into a movie screen Complete with projector They were about to watch "The Wizard of Oz" in their very own outdoor theater She turned when she heard the trunk slam shut and saw him carrying several heavy looking blankets and pillows.

"Want to help me set up?" he asked.

Norma let out a laugh.  
"I can't believe you did this!" she almost shouted. "Alex!"

"Good surprise?" he asked.

Norma helped him arrange the blankets on the grass as the munchkin musical overture started and died away. She stepped closer to him and reveled in the feel of his hands finding their place around her waist.

"Very good surprise." she whispered. Her lips kissing his. "Best surprise I've ever gotten."

Alex seemed pleased that she was duly impressed.

"Have a seat, we don't want to miss the movie." he told her.

With a childlike happiness she wasn't used to feeling, Norma quickly settled into a comfortable spot on their blankets. Alex moving himself close to her so they could enjoy the movie together.

She leaned back against him when Dorothy started to sing her lonely song of dreams coming true.

"This is the best date ever." she whispered.

She felt Alex's lips on her temple.  
"Good." he said back.

Norma wasn't sure why she did what she did next. Her life experience would have stopped her, but this evening had been so perfect, she couldn't stop herself.

"I love you." she admitted sadly. Her gaze fixed on the black and white images of Dorothy, lonely and unloved, in Kansas. She felt Alex tense slightly, then relax.

"Well, I love you to." she heard him say in her ear. She could feel his mouth on her neck and knew he was smiling.

 **I've actually deleted several chapters and I'm having trouble finding the right rhythm for where I want Normero go to now. I'm off tomorrow and I plan to do a lot of writing. But I like to stay at LEAST five chapters ahead. So, hopefully I'll post tomorrow, but if I don't, that's why.**


	50. Chapter 50

50.

~ "How come you don't live here?" Norma asked. They were both laying on their backs outside, her head resting on Alex's stomach. The movie had ended and they had grown too comfortable on the blankets to bother getting up. Instead they'd chosen to lounge like patrons at a music festival. Alex enjoyed the luxury of Norma running her soft fingers over his hands as they talked. It had grown too cold for Norma in her thin blue dress, Alex wordlessly giving her his jacket to keep warm.

"It's easier to live in town." Alex tried to explain. "Closer to work, and less maintenance. It's an old farm house and I'd have to make a lot of repairs."

"It's so pretty here." Norma argued. "And it's not that far away."

"I didn't have the happy childhood you're thinking of, Norma." Alex admitted.

"I didn't say it was perfect." she said apologetically. "I mean, if it never felt like home-"

"It never felt like home." he said quickly.

Alex didn't want to talk about it, but he sensed the she was willing to listen. That she needed him to explain more.

"My mother, she had issues." he said carefully. "I told you about them, that day on the boat?"

"Yes." Norma said gently. Alex met her gaze and saw her eyes were like the deep blue sea. A beautiful, elemental force without end.

"Sometimes, she would have these bad spells." he admitted carefully. "I was younger and I didn't understand them. Didn't understand why she acted like she did. Why she was so sad all the time and why she just couldn't be happy. Or be like the other moms I saw."

He saw Norma's eyes flash in worry over the child he no longer was.

"Sometimes, she would stay in bed for days. Never take a bath or make sure I was taken care of. She just crawled up inside herself." he sighed.

He felt her grip tighten on his hand as she patiently listened.

"Then, there were times when she was happy. When it was okay to be around her. She would sew a lot on this machine my dad got her. She was really good at sewing." he said. "She made these yellow curtains and hung them in every room."

"Yellow?" Norma questioned with a smile.

"It was the seventies."

"Ah."

"When she was happy, she would cook for us and everything was really good. Then it was like something horrible took her away from us. I could always sense it coming for her to." Alex explained sadly. "We didn't really know about depression or anything like that back then. My dad thought crazy was crazy. There was a lot of shame attached to the idea my mother might be mentally ill. That she needed to help and he was too stubborn to get it for her. He told her to just get over it. To be normal again."

He felt Norma's fingers tracing up his arm. Her skin causing his own flesh to feel electric.

"One day, I came home from school and found her in the bathroom. She had left the door open knowing I would see. See what she was doing. She had cut herself up with a flat shaving razor. She wanted me to see her hurting herself. See her bleeding." he said. A pain, deep and ugly, rippled through his body. Like he had betrayed his mother by saying out loud what he'd always suspected.

"Oh, Alex." Norma breathed.

"I panicked. I was still a little kid. I called Sybil and she told me to call an ambulance. Next thing I know, people my dad knows and works with are here at the house. My mother's crying and Sybil is holding me. My dad comes barging in and grabs me by the collar. He starts yelling at me because I let the family secret out. The whole town would know about her because of me. Everyone would know that my mother was crazy, and it was all my fault." he said darkly.

"Your dad is a shit head." Norma said bluntly. Her voice curt and unapologetic.

Alex felt a bubble of laughter rise up. He instantly felt better at the notion Norma wasn't afraid to tell the truth about the Old Bear.

"If you ever met him, I'd love it if you told him that." he laughed.

"I will." Norma said hotly. "Don't think I won't."

"Okay."

"I mean it."

"Okay."

"I might kick his ass to."

"I believe you could."

"Watch out."

"I will."

"So what happened then? Did your mom get help?" she asked. Her voice calmer now that she'd expressed herself.

Alex shrugged. The demons of his childhood didn't bite as hard now. It was like they had been scared away by Norma's tenaciousness and were in hiding. He liked the idea of Norma roaring like a tiger against the bad things in his youth. A tiger that might be fearless enough to stand up to Old Bear.

"She was in and out of treatment places." Alex told her carelessly. "My dad called them mental institutions." The memories of his mother's suffering weren't as painful anymore. Not with the tiger so close by. "For years, she was in and out of them."

"What about you?" Norma asked. "Where were you when she was in those places?"

"I stayed with Sybil a lot." Alex explained. "Her family was always good to me. I also stayed with friends."

"Did she get better? At least for a while?" Norma asked.  
"Medication helped." Alex said slowly. "I think the problem was she kept having to come home to my dad."

He watched her expression and saw it was unchanged. She was still ready to hear everything. Good or bad.

"You know better than anyone how it feels to be with a man who treats you like you're worthless." he explained sadly.

"Yes." she said whispered. Her eyes were like the deep end of the ocean again. "You start to believe you really are worthless."

"My mother believed it." Alex told her frankly. "I came here, seven years ago this past summer, went into her bedroom and found her dead. She had taken pills. She knew I would be here in the morning to take her to church and she knew…she knew I would be the one to find her."

He felt Norma's fingers gliding over his palm. He had never described the exact circumstances to anyone after the day it happened. Never trusted anyone with that horror.

"You're angry at her." Norma said.

Tears stung Alex's eyes.

"I don't want be." he said. "She was hurting. She was in pain. It's not her fault."

"You feel like she purposely hurt you." Norma said. "Because she wanted you to see it. She wanted you to be the one to find her."

"Yes." Alex whispered.  
"It's because she knew you were the only person who loved her. That's why she wanted you to see that she'd done those things to herself. Because anyone else wouldn't grieve for her like you would. No one else would miss her like you would." Norma explained slowly.  
"Would you ever do that?" Alex asked suddenly. He had to know if the tiger was capable of letting the darkness take her. Of letting the demons tear her apart.  
"We all have bad thoughts, Alex." she whispered. "I've fought too hard to stay alive. My father almost killed me, my brother…" she let out a long sigh. "Sam trying to beat me to death in front of my kids, that asshole who hit my car and pushed us into the bay. No, I don't care how bad it gets, I've worked to stay in this life, I've earned it. Besides, I'm sure it pisses off certain people that this girl's still standing."

Alex was watching her as she gave her little speech. Her energy was breathtaking. It was like a natural disaster that couldn't be contained or stopped. A hurricane that, although destructive, was beautiful in it's own way.

"Sorry." Norma sighed. "Didn't mean to upset you."

"You're not." he assured her.

"I'm sorry you went through that." she said. "Is that why you don't want to live here? Because you remember too many bad things?"

"Maybe." he said.

"You know, I didn't grow up in a house of our own at all. We were always traveling. Always on the move and living in other people's homes. It's easier for me to forget the past, I guess. I don't have the roots you do." she sighed. "Memories can hurt a lot if we let them."

"Yes they can."

"So lets not them." she smiled.

She nodded at the Christmas lights and home made movie screen. The picture perfect setting they were both in.

"This was a **very** good memory for us, Alex." she whispered. "Thank you."

She met his gaze and her eyes were that same color blue that made him feel the ocean wasn't as fathomless as he thought. That maybe all the storms had blown out and it would be nothing but peaceful sailing from now on.

"I'm glad." he said. There was a feeling of serenity in this moment. Like nothing bad could happen to them in this place.

"Can we do this again? The movie and the outdoors? Just us?" she asked hopefully. Her smile was bright like a child asking to go to a carnival.

"Of course." he chuckled. "I'm not sure how long the weather will hold. It's supposed to get cold soon."

"We can cuddle in Lucy and watch the movie." she offered. "Have our very own drive in."

"We can make out during the boring parts, right?" he asked.

She giggled.

"Maybe." she admitted. "You know, using that car and a homemade drive inn to get a girl to make out with you is pretty sneaky. What would Sybil say?"

She was teasing him again and Alex didn't back down.

"She'd probably say, 'Way to go, Little Bear'." he said dryly.

"No, she wouldn't!" Norma laughed.

"You don't know Sybil like I do. She's still pretty wild. She was always causing trouble when she was younger. Or so I've heard."

"Oh yeah?" Norma asked.

"Her father used to the Mayor." he said incidentally. "During the depression and the second world war. No one living knows more about this town than she does."

"You know that she wants me to help her at this halloween party next week." Norma said.

"Yeah, the charity thing for the children's hospital." he sighed.

"She needs a helper with all the kids that will be there. It sounds like fun." she said innocently.

"Norma, I'm not good at those things. I hate costumes and I'm not good around kids." he said knowing what she was asking.  
"You're good around my kids."

"Your kids know how to behave!" he argued. "You're kids are normal. Some of these brats are no better than heathens. Besides, it's halloween, I'll have to work. You have no idea how much trouble this holiday causes."

"I know." she agreed. "It would have been nice to see you in costume, or something."

"Oh yeah?" he smiled. "What kind of costume?"

"I was thinking like Zoro or something." she said with little thought.

"That's… that's terrible." he said with a laugh.  
"It'd be pretty sexy."

"No, it wouldn't."

Norma was grinning at him, but her lovely face fell as if she'd been giving heart breaking news.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Alex asked.

"This is heaven." she said sadly. "Today. Right here. With you."

"That makes you sad?"

"We're in this bubble." she whispered. "It won't last."

Alex smiled at her ran a hand over the exposed skin around her neck. His fingers slipping beneath the fabric.

"I think we both know I can make it last." he teased.

She blushed and her smile lit up her face.  
"Alex!" she cried.

"I'm serious." he said calmly.

"That's not what I meant!" she giggled.  
"I can prove it." he said.

Her laughter was ringing out in a place with no more demons.


	51. Chapter 51

51.

~ It was well past midnight before Norma and Alex finally snuck back home like a pair of guilty teenagers. Callie White had fallen asleep on the couch and Alex woke her up to pay her and send her home. Norma checked on the boys to find them sleeping peacefully. No harm had come to them at all from her date night with Alex.

"They're fine." she whispered to him once they were alone in her bedroom.

"Told you." Alex said. "We could have gotten a hotel room, spent the night. Be as loud as we wanted for a change."

"I know, but I wouldn't have been able to enjoy it."

"Thanks, baby."

"No, that's not what I meant." she said quickly. "I meant I would have been worrying about them all night."

"I know." he agreed. "You're a mother first."

"Maybe when they're older and Norman's medical issues are worked out." she said.

She thought he looked slightly annoyed.

"Alex, don't be be mad." she pleaded. "You gave me the most beautiful evening of my life. I'm sorry I wanted to come home."

"I'm not mad." he said when she rushed into his arms. She couldn't stand the idea of his being even remotely upset with her after tonight.

"Promise?" she asked weakly.

"I promise."

She took a deep breath and rested her head on his shoulder.  
"I really do love you." she admitted softly. "Everything you've done for me, everything you've been for me. I'm so scared I'm going to screw it up."

Alex's fingers were in her hair, pulling back the errant strands from her face so he could see her. She looked up and him and saw his eyes were mischievous again.

"I love you to." he grinned. "Lets not screw it up."

She was laughing because he was laughing. She loved the way he teased her. It was like she was free to be herself with him. She didn't have to pretend to be something she thought he wanted. She could have her darkness and her light when he was there. It was okay to be angry and happy. He had seen her at some of her worst moments in life and loved her anyway.

He was kissing her lips again. His touch was gentle and kind before dissolving into raw hunger for her. She allowed his lips to travel down her neck, his hands unzipping her dress without asking.

Her skin was on fire again from him and she wanted her clothes off. Wanted the cool air to hit her naked breasts and feel his skin melding with hers again. Every time with Alex was like the first time they made love. Her body snapping to life and sparking white hot when he started kissing her in a way that yearned for more. His breath caressing her ears and down her neck. His hands wandering down to push off the last of her dress, letting it pool at her feet. She was unhooking her bra, again thinking she needed to get fancier underwear. Alex allowing her to remove her own clothing because she couldn't stand for her skin to be so hot anymore. The air felt perfect when it his her exposed breasts. Her lover pushing down her lacy panties with ease and cupping her bottom just to torment her.

She felt a little naughty at being totally naked with the man now. He was still fully dressed and she was completely stripped off all clothing. However, she liked the feeling of being this way with him just now. Of being a purely sexual object for him to enjoy. The look on Alex's face was clear enough. He desperately wanted to enjoy her.

"God, you're beautiful." he confessed helplessly.

She was smiling and helped him shift off his jacket and shirt. Why did he have to wear so many layers?

Alex seemed impatient with wanting to shed his own clothing. He clearly needed to be naked with her. His clothing putting up too much of a barrier between them that wouldn't stand.

"I love you." he was whispering when she finally pulled off his shirt and she was, at long last, able to run her hands over his bare chest. She looked up at him in surprise and smiled. Her fingers tracing over those strong arms of his. His lean, muscular body so beautifully defined when he gripped ahold of her hips and forced her body close to his. She felt her breath leave her body, and her head spin wildly when he was kissing her again. She was helpless to stop him and she was feeling reckless enough to not even try. His lust was capable of exciting her own need and desire for satisfaction in a way she didn't know she was capable of feeling.

~ "Shit, Alex!" Sybil snapped.

"I know." Romero admitted.

It was noon and Sybil had agreed to have lunch with her little bear. The two of them convening at their preferred restaurant for burgers and fries. The restaurant was a fabulous relic to another time, a gleaming dinning car that had been a local favorite since the mid fifties.  
"Why in the world are you going to ask Norma to marry you?" she asked harshly. "Are you dying?"

"No."

"Is she dying?"

"No."

"Is it a scam? For like insurance or something?"

"No." Romero said in surprise. "Jesus, Sybil what's wrong with you?"

"What's wrong with you? You've barely started seeing her romantically. You've known one another for what, about six months?" she asked.

"Yeah."

"Please tell me you're not proposing because of some unplanned pregnancy or any bull shit like that." Sybil demanded.  
"No, we're not pregnant. We've always been very careful."

"Not that I wouldn't mind having little-little bear running around town. You and Norma might actually make pretty babies. Maybe a girl this time. I think you'd be happier with a girl, Alex." she added thoughtfully. "Your mother always wanted a girl, and Norma has the two boys already."

"I really regret telling you any of this." Alex sighed.

"How do you plan on asking her? Just don't do it during or right after sex. Women hate that. Trust me on this, I know from personal experience. Things said during sex are only in the heat of the moment. I was dating this gentleman right after the war, he was so damn powerful I just couldn't take it anymore. He wanted it all the time and I thought he might break me in half. We were like rabbits all the time. Finally I locked myself in the bathroom and told him he had to go home to his wife."

"Oh, God." Alex let out a long grown. He wasn't thrilled hearing about Sybil's sex life and it was the last thing he wanted to think about.

"You never wanted to get married. Not after what happened to Juliet." Sybil said honestly.

Alex felt a slight pain at the mention of Juliet. He shook it off.

"What happened? What changed? Is Norma so different that she's going to convert our town's most devoted bachelor?"

"We had a very romantic dinner out, I drove her around in mom's old car. We went to the farm and watched 'The Wizard of Oz' projected on the side of the old barn. She said it was the best date she'd ever been on. That it was like being in heaven." Alex said dryly. "Then, she told me she loved me. I told her I loved her. I talked to her about my mom. Things I never told anyone, not even you or Charlotte. She made me feel a lot better about it. She was worried about the boys, especially with Norman's condition, an I took her home early. We made love all night. I love her, I love her children. I love the fact that she's a good mother and she puts their needs first. She's strong and I want to make her my wife."

"Way to go, Little Bear! All that, and she dropped the love bomb first?" Sybil asked in disbelief.

"It's not that simple." Alex explained in a dead tone. "It's not like we're going to be a couple of newlywed kids starting out in life. If we get married, this will be her third marriage. I'll have two step sons. I'll be going into a marriage with a ready made family."

"I see." Sybil said.

"It's a big deal." Alex nodded. "I don't want her or those boys hurt if things between Norma and I end badly."

"Why would they end badly?"

"Norma and I… it's like a perfect storm sometimes. We actually like to disagree with each other. It's petty and it's stupid. We find the most trivial thing to argue about, and then it's on." he tried to explain.

"Oh, so you two are already married." Sybil concluded.

"I'm being serious." Alex told her.

"So am I." Sybil laughed. "Look, I would be worried if you two never fought and just exchanged goofy looks at each other all day long. The reality of life is conflict. Do you fight about the big things?"

"Not really." he shrugged. 'When we do, it's like we both want the same goal. We just fight about how to get there."

"Then it's going to be fine." she waved her hand.

"She said last night at dinner that she didn't want any more children."

The two of them sat in silence for a while. The both of them eating their greasy lunch.

"Is that something you want, Little Bear?" she asked.

Alex let out a sigh.

"I keep having this picture in my head, Sybil. Norma is in a rocking chair holding…" he shook his head. "It's in the nursery at the farm. I've painted the nursery and redone the whole house. The boys are playing outside and Norma has a garden. Everything is peaceful. No more bad memories."

Sybil looked sad for a moment.

"Did you tell her about this picture?" she asked.

"No."

"Good. Don't tell her, Little Bear. You're dealing with a woman who had gone through years of domestic abuse from what was meant to be her loving and trusted partner. I don't want you promising this woman perfection. You're actions will always speak louder than words. Don't ask Norma to marry you. Now isn't the right time. Especially since you've just started seeing each other that way."

Romero was hoping Sybil would be on his side a little more.

"You shouldn't leap into marriage with your heart alone, Alex. It wouldn't be easy, to be a husband to a woman who's been battered. To be a step father to two children who have different fathers." Sybil looked skeptical.

"I still love her, Sybil." Alex explained. His voice shaky, but insistent. "I want us to have a future together. I mean, I can see it. I can actually see our life together. Then, last night, I think I realized we want very different things."

"Keep doing what you're doing. Let her know you're committed. That you're ready for a life that is more than casually romantic. If it scares her off, then she was never right for you anyway. If she chooses to stay with you, all it takes is time." Sybil said. "The two of you are still young. You have lots of time to work out those details."

"Maybe." Alex admitted. His expression showed no signs of happiness or comfort.

"Little Bear." Sybil sighed. "You can't rush these things. You're still looking at her through rose colored eyes. When these rose colored eyes turn blue, you won't be so enamored."

"You think when times get hard, when reality knocks us around, I'll bail?" he asked.

"I didn't say that." Sybil told him. "What I'm saying is that in just a few months, you don't really know a person. If you really love her, want to make her feel loved and cherished, you both have to be on the same page with your future together."

"What if she never wants to get married? Or have children with me? Should I just hope she'll change her mind?" Alex asked bitterly.

"Alex, who knows?" Sybil huffed. She was getting tired of coddling him and her temper was growing short. "Maybe you'll change your mind."

Alex doubted it.

"Let's talk about something else. You're coming to the party I'm hosting, right?" Sybil asked.

"The party." Alex said indifferently.

Sybil looked at him like he was from another planet.

"The Halloween party to raise money for the children's hospital in Portland?" she said sarcastically. "I've hosted it every year for the past two decades, Little Bear."

"Oh, yeah." Alex pretended remember.

"You've been unavailable since your mom died and I've already told Wilson you need to come this year and he agreed. I know you don't have to work so don't even play that card." she said happily.

"Wait, you talked to Wilson about forcing me to go to your party?" Alex asked. "Sybil, you know I don't do social gathering very well. Halloween is a big night for law enforcement and-"

"Wilson says that you need to press the flesh with local politicians who will be their with their own wives and families. You're a big, handsome hero right now, Little Bear. You'll be the next Sheriff very soon and you need to attend these kinds of bull shit functions. You'll have to go to the Halloween kids party, the stupid Woodchuck thing with the logs, the lights of winter, the party where all the kids in town meet Santa Clause and the new year count down."

"Sybil." Alex sighed.

"Alex, you're going to have to get used to this kind of thing. People need to know their next Sheriff. You'll have to be there. You're going to go with Norma Bates and her boys to the party to." Sybil said calmly.

"I don't know." he sighed. "I'm not good at talking to politicians."

"Turn on some of that so called charm you Romero men have." she insisted. "I need an attractive couple at my party and all my friends are old and ugly. I want you and Norma looking nice and her boys being cute. The voters will be very impressed if the hero of White Pine Bay has a beautiful lady on his arm, and two adorable little boys around. I mean, think of the photo op."

"Shit." Alex muttered.

"It's going to be fun." She said with a smile. Her teeth that forever nicotine yellow. "They'll be dancing for the adults, a haunted house and lots of games for the little ones. I've even invited some of the kids from the children's hospital in Portland to attend."

"I really don't want to go." Alex said pitifully.  
"Well, people in hell want ice water, Little Bear." Sybil said happily. "Remember, it's black tie. You'll need to rent a tux."

"I've never worn a tux in my life." Alex said. "Why is it black tie at a Halloween party? I thought is was costumes."

"Don't argue with me!" Sybil snapped. "I've already picked one out for you at Lyndell's. I've paid for the rental and everything. Just do it!"

"Fine." Alex groaned.

 **After some research, a reader says that Alex Romero would have been 45 at the start of "Bates Motel". So he's at about 30 for this story. Which would make sense that no one in town would want a Sheriff who was under 30.**

 **I think in "Bates Motel" TV show world, a year, maybe a year and a half has passed from when Norma first came to WPB. So that would make Alex 46 and Norma 40 when they got married.**

 **The story of Sybil fooling around with a married man and locking herself in the bathroom because she couldn't take all the loving is based on a real experience a friend of mine had. She's much older now, but when she was young, she was bad news.**

 **I'm glad to see all the feedback on this story and how I can make it better. I'm trying to make up for the chapters I deleted, but it's hard to write 3,000 words a day if not more.**


	52. Chapter 52

52.

~ Norma had spent her Sunday off cleaning house. Her favorite hobby when she was nervous or upset about anything. She wasn't sure why she had this feeling like the world was ending. Alex had been amazing to her last night. Their date had been perfection and she wanted to re-live it over and over in her mind like a movie.

When she woke up that morning and noticed he was still in bed with her, she imagined their date night really had been a movie. An old one that was still in black and white. Where everything was too perfect and nothing looked real. But it had been real and she felt thoroughly seduced by him. She wished she could have stayed with him forever like that. Her mind playing out vivid home movies of all of them living on that lovely farm.

She would plant climbing roses around the porch to keep them cool in the summer. She'd have a large garden and fresh vegetables. She'd also have chickens and maybe even a goat who would always try to get into her garden.

They boys would be in heaven in a place like that. They would run around barefoot in the summer, and wouldn't come home till twilight. Alex would be happy and well fed. He would come home early and they would talk about things while she cooked. They would always have interesting debates about anything and everything. Always disagreeing but not caring who won.

Norma wanted to get a piano and relearn how to play again. She had actually taught herself to play on an old piano a family member had left them. When she was in middle school, she'd learned to read sheet music and would practice all the folksy classics at home. It was the only thing that cheered her mother up. Listening to Norma play piano music and singing.

Norma's mind wandered around a life of playing piano, gardening, canning fruits and sewing her own clothes. She imagined how splendid it would be to step into that life with Alex. Like how Alice had stepped through the looking glass and entered a world that could never be real.

Her mind raced wildly around until she saw herself folding laundry and hearing a fussy baby cry. Her attention diverted as she stopped folding and went to pick up a pale infant with soft, black hair. Her small body lovingly dressed all in pink. The little girl she'd always wanted and never thought she'd have. Her baby. Her beautiful baby with Alex.

Norma snapped back to reality with a hart pounding clang. A panic attack evident even in the midst of all that beautiful perfection and hopeful future.

She couldn't seem to calm herself down. Even when Alex had woken up and kissed her good morning. He noticed the time and regretfully had to go to work for his evening shift. He mentioned meeting Sybil for lunch and she didn't need to make him anything. It was a relief to see him off. The panic attack Norma felt coming was the worst one she'd ever felt.

Memories of when she was expecting Norman kept drilling through her eyes. How Sam had slapped her across the face when she told him about the pregnancy. How she was so afraid of putting on too much weight, she'd starved herself for months. How Sam would scream at her when Norman would cry with the colic and she couldn't get him to stop. How Sam told her she was fat and ugly since she had the baby.

'Calm down.' she ordered herself. The talons on that awful black bird were gripping her flesh tightly enough to draw blood again. 'Alex isn't Sam. He loves me… and I love him.'

' _Come on, dummy_.' that black bird cawed at her again. ' _Sam wasn't Sam before you married him and had a baby. You nagged him all the time and you spent money you didn't have. You were always harping at him over every little thing. He was nice to you before you met him and you just wore him down. You're going to wear Alex down to. Just give it time. I give it two months and he's going to realize he made a horrible mistake and leave you. Just don't let yourself get knocked up like you did with Sam. The only reason Sam stayed with you is because you let yourself get pregnant with Norman. Alex will hate you forever if you try to trap him. You'll have three kids by three different fathers. You really will be trash forever if you have a baby with Alex.'_

The crow was laughing at her and Norma felt a sob coming from deep inside.

'No.' she told herself. 'No, Sam hurt me. He hurt our child. It wasn't my fault.'

' _Alex is going to get tired of all your drama, dummy. How long will he stay once Dylan becomes a troubled teenager? Alex only wants to play house with you. You've made it all look so perfect didn't you? With your clean home and pretty dresses. Your carefully cooked dinners and having sex in the shower. Of course he's infatuated with you. You've made him believe you're the perfect woman. He'll find out who you really are. Who Dylan really is. He already has suspicions. You know it's true. Caleb probably knows who Dylan really belongs to. Maybe he already told Alex. You're such a dummy._ '

Norma left her cleaning rituals to take refuge in the bathroom. She ran some water in the tub. The loud noise of rushing water in the pipes meant the boys wouldn't hear her when she was crying.

She let the darkness in. Let it consume her. Let all those bad thoughts about what might happen, wash over her body as she wept. She couldn't explain the reasoning behind it. Alex had never shown the kind of cruelty Sam had. Why was she even so upset? Alex wasn't asking to marry her or have a baby or anything? He wasn't moving in with them. They were together, but her lover was keeping a respectful distance and giving them both the time to let things happen on their own. Why was she so afraid and upset all the sudden?

'Alex would never hurt me.' she told herself. 'He'd kill anyone who did hurt me. I know that for a fact.'

She took a deep breath and tried to shut out the laughter of that black bird on her shoulder.

'Alex isn't playing house with me.' she told herself again. 'If he never wants to get married, if he wants things to stay like this forever, that's fine to.'

 _'Dummy, he's going to leave you when he finds a younger girl with no kids and no drama_.' the bird laughed. ' _Look at you, crying on the floor when you've really got nothing to cry about. You just like feeling sorry for yourself. What do you think he'll do when he finds out you're just like his mother? That will break his heart and he'll never forgive you._ '

~ Sybil was pounding at the door in her usual, take no prisoners manner.

"Oh, good. You're not busy." she said in a comical act of surprise. Her breathing coming hard from all her smoking.

"Sybil, what's going on?" Norma asked the older woman. She had finally been able to pull herself together that afternoon to leave the bathroom and try to act normal.

"I need your help, dear." Sybil said breathlessly.  
"Okay." Norma said quickly.  
"Go to my car, and get that box I have in the trunk. Do you have any gin?"

~ Norma collected the box and brought it into the house. She had to disappoint Sybil by telling her that she never kept alcohol in the house. With her new life, she wanted to wash away anything that reminded her of the old one.

"Set the box down there. I'll explain it later. We need to talk, dear." Sybil said taking a set at the kitchen table.

The older woman looked around.

"Where are the boys?"

"Norman's asleep. He's on a medication for epilepsy, it makes him really sleepy. Dylan is grounded."

"Yeah, he told me what happened. With the epilepsy." Sybil nodded and took a seat at the kitchen table. Norma noticed she didn't mention Dylan's alleged kidnapping or her brother being arrested for murder. "The reason I'm here is because of Little Bear."

Sybil looked through her purse, seemed to forget what she was searching for, and gave up.  
"You need to understand that Alex Romero has been very unlucky in love, Norma." the older woman explained. Her throat was dry and raspy, but very honest.

"Why are you telling me this?" Norma asked suspiciously.

Sybil let out a sigh.

"When Alex was a teenager, he was terribly in love with this girl. Her name was Juliet Mathews and she was the step daughter to a horrible man. Sheriff Romero, Big Bear, was always arresting this asshole for something. The family was a real mess. I was her case worker back then and if that son of a bitch judge had any balls at all, he would have taken my suggestion and removed that poor girl from the home. It was a rancid little trailer and there was at least eight people crammed in there. Friends living with them, sudden family members who had no business there." Sybil's frail little body shook at the memory of her former case.

She looked to Norma and the younger woman saw pain there.

"Juliet and Alex went to school together. They were both a pair of outcasts. No really close friends. It's always been that way with Alex though. Naturally, he being the son of the Sheriff and she being the daughter of the town bad boy, I mean, how could they not be drawn to each other? How could they not fall in love?" Sybil laughed.

Norma smiled briefly. It was hard to picture Alex as a teenager. Even though it wouldn't have been that long ago.

"They were together, very close, for a long time. Alex told me they planned to run away together after graduation and get married." Sybil said darkly. "A few days before graduation, Juliet Mathews just vanished."

"What?" Norma asked. She had expected Sybil to tell her that Alex's first love broke his heart. That's all a first love was good for after all.

Sybil nodded.

"She and Alex had spent the day swimming by a waterfall not far from here. He told the authorities that he last saw her walking home on one of the rural roads. That she was safe and no one was around. No one ever saw her again and no body was ever found." the older woman explained.

"Did they ever find anything?" Norma asked. "I mean, her family…"

"Her family was a mess. The Old Bear arrested the whole worthless lot of them that very day for cooking meth. The FBI was called in and ruled her disappearance a retaliation for something her step father had done to another drug rival." Sybil explained.

Norma's blood turned cold. She could imagine what had happened to that poor girl when she was taken.

"I'm only telling you this because I need you to understand something, Norma. Little Bear doesn't give his heart away too easily since the thing happened. He told me how close the two of you've become and how much he cares for you." Sybil said gently. A grandmotherly tone gracing her voice now. "I just wanted you to know that it's real for him. Alex isn't the kind of man who goes around breaking hearts. Never will be." she added.

Norma's vision blurred slightly. She didn't want to start crying.

"Alex has always been a romantic at heart. He can't help it. He thinks it's best to be contrary and distant, but he can't fight his real nature. All he really wants in life is to have someone love him and care for him." Sybil explained. "He wants the fairy tale ending."

Norma bit her lip. Sybil shrugged.

"Do me a favor? Don't tell him what I told you today." the older woman said. "People don't really talk about Juliet around here. Most people still believe she just left town on her own."

Norma nodded quickly.

"Now." Sybil said. "I need your help. I've been organizing the annual Halloween party for charity. Remember, I need your pretty smile to help me play hostess and your boys to be cute and charming so that all these people we invite will give us money for the children's hospital."

"Yeah, I… I already got Dylan and Norman's costume." she said. "It's a shame Alex isn't going to be able to go."

"Yeah, he has to work." Sybil said in a cranky tone. "I loved the costume you picked out for yourself."

"It was a little out of my price range." Norma admitted.

"A pretty dress is worth any price. You'll look amazing, dear." Sybil said. "I know you've already picked out the boys costumes, but I'd like it if you're youngest boy wore this." she said humbly. The older woman reached for the box and pulled out a carefully wrapped package.

Norma looked over the package and nodded. She saw Sybil looked ready to cry a little.  
"Of course." Norma said quickly.

"It's nice and warm." Sybil told her. "Made by hand. Long time ago now"

"Thank you, Sybil." Norma said.

"Be at the Hollyhock fairgrounds with the boys no later than seven. There's going to be rides and a lot of fun things for the kids. It's always safer than trick or treating." Sybil rushed her crisp, efficient manner.

 **I've mentioned Juliet was Alex's first love before. When Romero and Wilson found Gemma Harper's body. Alex remembers going swimming with her. He told Wilson she had moved away. This isn't the last time Juliet will come up. Another mystery in WPB.**


	53. Chapter 53

53.

~ Norma waited up for Alex. She didn't like to go to sleep knowing he wasn't home yet. She immediately corrected herself at the idea that her home wasn't his home. Alex had his own place and she had hers. So what if he'd spent every night with her for almost a week now. It's not like they were living together. Although, it felt like they were sometimes. It felt so normal and natural for him to be here. All the little things that troubled her now seemed easier when Alex was around. Dylan had started to thrive under Alex's calmer and more masculine approach to discipline. He was gentle but firm with her oldest to the point where he didn't even have to raise his voice to see results.

She wished that she could say it was their new life away from Sam that was making Dylan so much happier, but she knew better. She knew her son admired Alex and wanted to be like him. Dylan finally had a real father figure in his life because of Alex Romero.

She was sure, given that Norman was so young, that he wouldn't remember Sam at all. That her youngest would only know a stable life with Alex. That the four of them would be almost like a real family together.

Norma felt like this was the way it was always meant to be. This is how a family really was and she'd been lied to her whole life. Her father shouldn't have hit her, or yelled at her. Her brother shouldn't have started touching her and abusing her. Her husbands should never have beaten her. Kept her so down trodden, that she could barely lift her head up, for fear of being slapped. Most of all, she should have never stood for it. Never adopted a 'hope for the best' attitude when her children didn't have enough to eat and her husband had vanished for a week. Or when Sam would yell at her and she had to take the punches to the face so that he would leave Dylan and Norman alone. She had been too afraid then of leaving Sam. Of what he would do to her if she tried. Of what she would have to do to survive.

She wished she could go back in time and tell herself she was strong enough to do it. Strong enough to leave Sam and start a new life.

The black bird was still perched on her shoulder. It's talons gripping tightly to her flesh when she noticed it was almost midnight. Alex would have the evening shift and she knew it would be anyone's guess when he could leave.

She was ashamed of the anxiety attack she'd had that afternoon. She had allowed such dark thoughts to enter her mind when there was nothing wrong. No one was hurting her, or being cruel to her. Her children were safe and her home was clean. Why was she so upset over nothing? Why was she telling herself that Alex would leave her? Deep down, she knew that Alex wasn't the kind of man who would toy her feelings. Who would hurt her in any way. After everything he'd done for her in just the past few days. The car, that wonderful night at his family's farm. He wouldn't just walk away from her after he'd so carefully laid the foundations for something more.

Norma felt her stomach turn at the idea of a life without Alex. Her new life would be horribly incomplete if he wasn't apart of it. Even now, she missed him.

She jumped when she heard the back door close and the muffled noises of Alex's work shoes on the floor. His keys being placed on the wall hook in the kitchen. She had left the back door unlocked and knew he would scold her about it when he came in.  
"You're still up?" he whispered when her bedroom door eased opened and he came in.

"I couldn't sleep until you were home." she admitted. "Sometimes I worry."

"Don't worry."

"Can't help it."

"You left the back door unlocked." he said. He closed their bedroom door and started undressing for bed. She enjoyed the view.

"I know." she said with a smile. She knew he was eager to lecture her about that.

"Don't do that again, Norma." he ordered. "Anyone could have just walked in."

She watched him undress and felt a slight ripple of pleasure at knowing he chose to come and stay with her tonight.

"Well, I knew you didn't have this." she said shyly and plucked the spare set of house keys from her bedside table.

Alex squinted at it before his features softened with a smile.

"You're giving me a key?" he asked. He stepped closer to her and took them.  
"Why not? If there's an emergency or something happening with the boys, you'd be the one I'd call." she said logically.

"Do I get a drawer to?" he asked. That mischievous smile was on his face. The spares to her house soon clipped onto his own key ring.  
"Do you want a drawer?" she asked.

"Well, I think I at least need to bring my own shampoo. I'm getting a little sick of smelling like… I don't know, peaches or whatever that is you use." he teased.  
"It's apricot honey and I think it makes your hair look fuller." she told him.

Alex stripped down to his briefs and crawled into bed with her.

She sensed he might be too tired for anything more than sleep tonight, and she was alright with that. It was apart of their unspoken language that needed no explanation. A language that meant they could be honest with each other about anything.

"Really?" he asked hopefully. She ran her fingers through his thick, dark hair.

"Yeah, I bet I can barely get a comb through it now." she teased. "It looks a lot better now that it's grown out."

She pretended to gasp.

"Oh, baby, I hope you don't lose your hair. You have such nice hair. It'd be tragic if you started going bald." she said sadly.

"You'd still love me if I went bald, right?" he asked hopefully.

"I'm not sure." she said in a melodramatic voice. "How bald are we talking about?"

"Like, disgustingly bald. Maybe grow one side really long and then sweep it over." he said. "The ladies really love that."

"Oh, no." she shook her head. A fit of the giggles frighting the black bird away for now. "That's a deal breaker."

"Got it. So I have to keep my hair, if this is gonna work."

"Yeah."

"Good to know. Anything else?"

She pretended to think.

"Hmm." she mused. A blush tinting her cheeks at what she really wanted to say.  
"What?" asked.

"I like the way your arms look." she admitted shyly. "They're nice."

"Oh yeah?" he asked with an amused smile. "I have to keep going to the gym then."

"Yes."

"Bummer, I was planning on being fat and bald. It's not going to be easy, Norma. You don't exactly starve a man."

She was smiling, her feet running over his playfully.

"What are your deal breakers?" she asked with a grin.

"My deal breakers?" he thought about it for a while.

Norma couldn't take her eyes off of him. She loved being in bed with him like this. The two of them just talking about nothing that had any real importance in their lives. Both of them knowing their dialog was all said with honest affection.

"Oh!" he said suddenly. "You can never get your nails done and have those rhinestone… things… that are glued on. Those really long nails."

Norma snorted back a laugh. As a man, he knew nothing about acrylic nails.

"I hate those things." he added.

"Okay, no problem." she promised easily.

"No stripper clothes either."  
"What the hell, Alex? No stripper outfits at all? What am I going to wear this summer?"

"I mean it. I like the way you dress." he said stubbornly. "You dress like a lady and I like that."

Norma felt tears sting her eyes. She'd never been told, by anyone, that she dressed like a lady. That her clothes were appealing and nice. She'd always felt like she was pretending to be something she wasn't. That the trailer trash she was meant to be would somehow surface.

"You think I dress nice?" she whispered.

He turned to her.

"You know you always look amazing, Norma." he said.

"So…" she felt her cheeks grow warm. "I mean, you don't think I need… I don't know, sexy lingerie or something?"

"What?"

"Because I've been meaning to get some." she said quickly. "But with everything that's been happening with the boys, I really haven't had time to do these kinds of things."

"Norma." Alex sighed. He looked annoyed, but she knew it wasn't because of her.  
"I don't want you to feel you have to do things like that for me." he said. "If that's something you want, then great, but I'm fairly easy to please. I have simple tastes. I don't want a girl who has a drawer full of all that stuff. Who likes to tease a man and play games. I need a woman who honestly makes me happy. Who makes me a better man."

He looked at her hopefully and Norma pulled away. She had never received such a compliment before.

"Do I make you happy?" she asked in a hushed whisper. "Do I make you a better man?"

He was smiling at her. His hands finding hers and their fingers entwining.

"I think I'm a much better man since I've met you." he confessed.

"Well, I'm a better everything since I met you." she sighed happily.

They were enjoying the pleasant moment when, as she was doomed to do, Norma had to ruin it.

"Alex, I have to tell you something. It's only because you told me about your mom and I don't want you to keep thinking that I'm this perfect person. Because I'm not perfect. I have a lot of flaws."

Alex let out a brief laugh.

"Oh, baby, I never thought you were perfect." he said casually.

She barely registered the gentle joke he'd made.

"Sometimes, for no reason at all, I have these attacks. It's like all these negative things rush in and I have to clean the house just to feel like I'm in control." she confessed. She felt horrible telling him this. What if it reminded him too much of his mom?

"Attacks?" he asked.

"Just bad things running in my mind." she sighed. "After you left, I started thinking of all the ways this could end badly for us. That you're only playing house and you'll get bored and leave."

She was breathing hard and hoped she wouldn't start crying again.

"Anyway, I locked myself in the bathroom and ran the water so the boys wouldn't hear me." she confessed quickly. "I don't know why. Sometimes, it just feels like I have to hide for a little while till it goes away. It makes my whole body hurt and I feel bad that I let it happen. It's like I couldn't stop it. "

Alex was watching her and she could tell he was thinking of what his mother had been like. No doubt seeing the similarities and realizing that she wasn't worth it.  
"Why would you think I'm just playing house?" he asked darkly.

Norma didn't like that question.

She shook her head and refused to answer.

"Norma?"

She refused to look at him.  
"Norma, do you know what battered woman syndrome is?" he asked gently. "Post traumatic stress disorder?"

"I don't have any syndrome or disorder, Alex." she rolled her eyes.

"Why won't you look at me then?" he asked.

To show her resolve, she glared at him. His face was kind, but serious.

"Women who have been in extremely abusive relationships for a long time, like the one you had with Sam, tend to have anxiety attacks." he explained. "Combat veterans get them to. Panic attacks out of nowhere."  
"Even if there's nothing wrong?" she asked skeptically.  
"Even if there's nothing wrong." he assured her. "Norma, you were attacked in your own home by someone you used to care about. You had your arm broken so badly the bone was sticking out of the skin. You had to hide your child under the floorboards because you were afraid of him being killed. It's normal to still feel anxious sometimes."

She wasn't sure if she could believe that. Her anxiety attacks didn't feel normal at all. They felt horrible; like she wasn't as strong as she thought she was.

"It's also common for battered women to try and over compensate in other areas. Cooking and housekeeping for example." he said.

"I don't over compensate, I like to cook. And since when is it a crime to keep a clean house?" she argued.

It was Alex's turn to roll his eyes.

"The point I'm trying to make, Norma, is that you fit a lot of those criteria. We had to learn all about this to respond to domestic abuse calls. I've seen this kind of thing before." he told her. "Let me ask you, do you ever feel like you're walking on eggshells around me? Like you have to be perfect… for me?"

She had to think about that for a moment. She wanted Alex to think she was a perfect mother and that her house was always clean and her dinners were always on point with minimal effort. She wanted him to think she could do it all with ease, but he knew her too well at this point to be fooled.

"No." she said at last. "I've always felt like I can be myself around you. Warts and all."

"See? Warts are fine." He grinned. "They're not a deal breaker."

"Alex, I just don't want you to think I've got… I don't know… mental issues." she explained. "I mean, when you told me about your mom-"

"It's not the same thing, Norma." he said quickly. "You're not an abused woman anymore and you never will be again."

His voice was suddenly sharp and authoritative. She felt a grin tickle her mouth.  
He looked slightly embarrassed.

"An anxiety attack is not a weakness." he said trying to sound calm again. "If you feel like we need to get some help for them, we can do that. Easily. You'd be surprised what the right kind of medication can do."

"It doesn't scare you?" she whispered. "My anxiety?"

"Never." he promised.

She felt her heart swell at his fearlessness.  
"Because, they're a lot better with you around." she admitted.

"I'm glad." he whispered. "And I'm not just playing house, Norma."

"I know, I'm sorry I ever thought that."

"I want…" he hesitated slightly. "I want us to take care of each other. I think we'd be good at that."

"I want us to take care of each other to." she whispered and started to kiss him.

The two of them were still safe inside the bubble; for now.

 **Shout out to my sister who's watching season 4 of "Bates Motel" for the first time right now. So happy to know her Normero world will be shattered soon! LOL!**


	54. Chapter 54

54.

~ Norma had to admit that she wasn't expecting the Halloween party to be so extravagant. It was held at a very nice community building on the fair grounds with a live band and even a small carnival with rides for the younger children.

"Mom!" Dylan shouted happily. He was pulling on her hand and she had trouble keeping up with him in the new high heeled shoes she'd bought to match her dress.

"Dylan, wait!" Norma cried and tried to pull him back. She had Norman in her other hand and her youngest didn't feel like walking. The costume Sybil had brought for him was a perfect fit and he seemed to think she had swaddled him in pajamas for a nap as opposed to a halloween costume. Norma had to admit that whoever had made this little bear costume had done a good job. It was well stitched and even had a snug fleece lined hood for the cold weather and pockets to keep little hands warm.

She wished her own costume was a little warmer. She'd chosen fashion over practicality again, but she loved her Gatsby style flapper dress too much to not wear it.

It was a beautiful powder blue with intricate bead work down the front and a flared skirt that barely hit her knees. She even loved the beaded headband with the white feather sticking out that made other party guests give her a wide birth for fear of hitting it. It was a shame this kind of dress wasn't in style anymore. It must have been wonderful to wear dresses like this to parties.

She had to stoop down to pick up Norman when they reached the little carnival outback. Dylan was anxious to get on one of the rides. Her oldest was dressed as a policeman for Halloween. It was a costume he'd picked out himself and had been eagerly awaiting the time to wear it. She wouldn't allow him to wear the toy gun that had come with the outfit. She wouldn't ever allow her son to use a gun.

"Dylan, remember, best behavior." Norma said when they reached the first ride. "This is your first night off punishment."

She set Norman down and made the boys hold hands to get on the rides.

"You have to keep your brother with you at all times." she told him.

"Okay. I will." Dylan promised eagerly. "Come on, Norman."

"The boys look precious." came a rough voice that had been smoking for too many years. Norma turned to see Sybil, dressed as a very realistic Morticia Adams, standing there.

She tried not to gasp at how the black wig and eyeliner only highlighted Sybil's naturally ash colored skin.  
"The bear costume fit Norman perfectly. He didn't want to take it off." Norma admitted.

"The only time in my life I ever wanted a baby of my own was when Theresa brought her little boy to one of my halloween parties in that same bear costume. Alex was the cutest little bear in the whole world." Sybil said sadly. "She made that costume herself and everyone just thought it was wonderful. Especially when his dad showed up. Big bear holding his little bear. It was even in the paper."

"Alex's mother made that bear costume?" Norma asked. Suddenly she felt that it was in poor taste to have her son dressed in it. She was glad Alex wasn't coming. It was bad enough Dylan was dressed like a cop. She didn't need Alex to think she was crazy because Norman was dressed in the same costume he had worn at that age.

"After Theresa passed, I made sure to get that bear costume. I've been saving it. For the right time." Sybil explained.

"Sybil, I didn't know that this was some kind of family heirloom for Alex. It's not right, Norman isn't his son. This will send the wrong message." Norma tried to explain.

"I know exactly what kind of message it's going to send." Sybil said with a wave of her hand. She looked like she could actually be a nightmarish vampire just then.

"Sybil, I didn't even think about the whole bear thing with that costume. Dylan is dressed like a cop." Norma sighed.

"I know, it's cute. I can't wait for Little Bear to see." the older woman said with a grin.

"Wait, I thought Alex wasn't coming."

"No, he is." Sybil said casually.

"Why are you doing this? He's going to think I want him to adopt the boys or something." Norma said darkly.

"Who's to say that he won't eventually do just that? You two make a lovely couple and a very nice looking family." Sybil said casually. "I want a picture of all of you by the way. You look gorgeous. I'm glad you went with the Gatsby dress. It suits you."

"What's Alex coming dressed as?" Norma asked nervously. She was looking around the group of party goers for him. Maybe there was still plenty of time for her to escape with the boys.

"I may have lied to him about this being a costume party." Sybil said. "I wanted him in a tux so he'd match your costume."

"Sybil!" Norma hissed.

"He hates costumes, but he hates wearing a tux slightly less." Sybil reasoned.

"Sybil, it's not okay to try and force us to look like we're a family." Norma sighed. She regretted saying that immediately. Everything that the older woman had done for her and her sons, how could she be nothing but grateful?

"Alex will know this is my doing. Mine alone. He knows how evil and manipulative I am." Sybil told her. "He won't blame you."

~ Alex was ready to kill Sybil. This was a costume party and he was in a three piece tuxedo.

' _I'm a penguin and everyone's staring at me._ ' he thought manically searching the crowd for Sybil.

"Nice tux, deputy." said someone dressed at John Wayne.

"Phantom of the Opera?" an older woman guessed.

"Uh… yeah." Alex tried to smile.

He went outside to the small carnival to find Sybil, but found it was even more crowded out here. The lights from the hall and all the rides made everything look bright and cheery. All the costumed children were running around and enjoying the rides. Everyone was in very well thought out costumes.

"James Bond!" came a voice Alex vaguely remembered.

Alex turned to see the weary father from the hospital that day he had gone with Norma to pick up her son.

"Decody. William Decody." the balding man said in his best imitation of the famous spy. He was holding the little brown haired girl in his arms. Her large dark eyes were bright from all the excitement and her smile couldn't be wider.

"Yes, I'm…I'm James Bond." Alex said quickly. He'd rather be a suave master spy than Phantom of the Opera.

He nodded to the little girl in William Decody's arms.

"She's doing better." he noticed.

"This is Emma. You two haven't been formally introduced." Mr. Decody said.

"Hello, Emma." Alex said to the little girl with the big brown eyes. She was dressed as a lady bug with wings, and even had a matching red ballerina tutu.

"I'm Deputy Alex Romero." he said to Mr. Decody. "I'm here representing the Sheriff's department."

"Pleased to see you again." Mr. Decody said. "Your wife was so lovely to this one that day."

He nodded up to his lady bug ballerina and Emma smiled happily.

"Is she here tonight? The missus?" Mr. Decody asked hopefully.

"Um…" Alex was startled at the mention of Norma being here. He didn't want her to see him looking like a penguin. She'd tease him for years to come.

"I'm not sure." he lied.

"There! That one!" Emma suddenly shouted and pointed at a ride shaped like a caterpillar.

"Then we shall, my darling." Mr. Deocdy said happily. Alex walked with them to the ride and watched her father put little Emma down. The lady bug quickly scampering to the line with other kids.

"How is she doing?" Alex asked when Emma climbed into the ride by herself.

"Good days and bad." Mr. Decody admitted. "She's got Cystic Fibrosis. Means her lungs won't work right. She'll need oxygen before too much time has passed."

"Oh." Alex said. "I'm sorry to hear about that."

"Yes, but she's been doing better with the medication. Hopefully we'll get that lung transplant soon." Mr. Deocdy said.

"She needs a transplant?" Alex asked. It must be horrible to have a child in need of something so serious. He couldn't imagine being able to bear it if that were his child.

"We're going to think good thoughts." Mr. Decody said. "Enjoy our time together as much as possible."

"Her mother?" Alex asked.

"Audrey called me a few days ago. Wanted to talk to Emma, but I won't let her." Mr. Decody said. "It was hard to explain to a child that age that her mum's run out on her. It would only confuse her more."

Alex didn't argue. How hard it must it be for a single father to raise a child by alone. Especially a daughter.

"Dylan! I said hold your brother's hand!" came the voice of a fierce tiger Alex knew all too well. He turned to see Norma walking past the two men. Obviously she hadn't recognized either one of them in the crowd.

Alex felt his heart rate quicken when he saw her in the pale blue dress with all the beads and sequins. The embellishments caught the light and made her sparkle even more than normal. Her shoes were too high and he could see the curve of her nicely shaped legs as she tried to walk faster in them. Her soft blue dress creating a lovely swishing movement that made him want to catch her like a cat would catch a mouse. He could even overlook the funny looking headband and white feathers ornamenting her hair, she looked more beautiful than he'd ever seen.

"Excuse me." Alex said to Mr. Decody. He left the man and pursued Norma into the crowd. Her blue dress was easy to keep track of with the sequins and feathers. Her body's movements making her dress sashay with each step. It was almost hypnotic. He could watch her in this dress forever. He hurried to catch up, and she didn't notice he was beside her in front of a kids ride.

"You come here often?" he said casually leaning on the guard rail.

Norma jumped and finally saw him.  
"Alex!" she cried in surprise. Her face lighting up, but still nervous. She looked over his tux.

"I know. I'm a penguin. Sybil told me it was black tie." he admitted.

"You look very handsome." she breathed. He felt slightly embarrassed as she looked him over appreciatively.

He nodded to her dress.  
"You look…. you look amazing." he said. He still wasn't able to take his eyes off the way that dress hung off her body. How the light blue made her eyes snap like fireworks. "Arn't you a little cold?"

"Fashion over comfort." she shrugged. "Sybil only lied to you about the tux because she wanted us to be in a couple's costume."

"How is this a couple's costume?" Alex asked.

She looked at him skeptically.  
"Gatsby and Daisy?" she asked. "The Great Gatsby?"

"I don't think I read it."

"Not in school?"

"Doesn't sound familiar."

"Well, it's about this man, Mr. Gatsby, who is trying to win back the love of his life, Daisy. Unfortunately, Daisy has married someone else. A rich man named Tom who can give her all the things poor Gatsby couldn't. So, Mr. Gatsby makes some shady deals with some shady people and becomes a very rich man. All so he can win Daisy back to him."

"Sounds very romantic." Alex offered.

"Yeah, except it doesn't work." Norma said sadly. "Daisy loves Gatsby, but she wouldn't leave Tom, who's also having an affair with a married woman. Gatsby becomes his own martyr for love. He dies tragically and there's no one to really mourn him." she said.  
"That's a terrible ending! You like that kind of story?" he asked.

"It's a tragic love story, what's not to like? I was madly in love with Robert Redford after I saw him in the movie version." she sighed. "I loved it when Daisy said, 'All the bright and precious things fade so fast, and they don't come back'. It's about how, you can't go back in time. You can't fix all the bad things that have happened. You have to learn to live with them."

"I wish I could go back and fix all the bad things that have happened to you." Alex said. His eyes still greedily drinking in her dress.

"It hasn't been all bad." she told him with a shy smile that sent his heart pounding.  
He was having trouble breathing. That color on her, the way her eyes were sparkling. She looked impossibly young and beautiful. His mind was quickly racing over all the things he wanted to do to her in that dress. His hands caressing the soft fabric and delicate beading. He almost believed she couldn't be real. That she was just apart of an elaborate dream he was having.  
"Did I mention how amazing you look in that dress?" he whispered. He leaned in close to her, and could smell her perfume drifting up to greet him. She was smiling that shy smile of hers, their lips about to touch when Dylan found them.

"Mom!" the child shouted. "Norman wants to go on this ride!"

Alex turned guilty away from the boy's mother. He had complexity forgotten that of course she wouldn't be here without her sons.

"Then go." Norma said calmly.

"Deputy Romero!" Dylan called. "Look, look at me!"

"Alex, I can explain." Norma said nervously.

Alex finally saw the two boys waving at them from the crowd of children. Dylan was dressed like a police man and looked very pleased with himself. Romero felt a clanging noise go off in his head at seeing Norman wearing the familiar bear costume he'd worn so many years ago. A costume his mother had made by hand and one he couldn't find after she died.

"Sybil brought it to the house and asked that Norman wear it tonight. Alex, I had no idea." Norma was saying. Her voice was soft and pleading. Begging for him to understand she wasn't playing mind games.

Alex was having trouble seeing strait. He had been only three, but he remembered everything about that bear costume. How warm it felt. How proud his father was when his mother presented him in it. How Sybil had started calling him Little Bear from that night on.

"Alex, I don't know. It doesn't mean what you think it does." Norma said. "I'm sorry."


	55. Chapter 55

55.

~ "Alex?" Norma asked.

"No, it's okay." he said weakly.

Her face looked worried that he might be upset.  
"She only told me after we had gotten here." Norma explained. "If I had known, I would have told her no. I didn't even think about the whole bear thing."

"My… um… my mother made that for me." Alex said carefully. He was watching Dylan and Norman waiting in line with the other kids. Dylan had carefully pulled the little hood up over Norman's head to keep out the chill in the air.

"I know." Norma said gently. Her hand was slipping into his. "She did a very good job. Pockets and everything."

"I forgot it has pockets." he laughed. "Sybil had it?"

"She brought it to my house a few days ago." Norma admitted. "She told me you weren't coming."

"She must be up to something." Alex decided.

"She did say she wants a picture of all of us." Norma told him.

He nodded to the boys.

"Dylan's a cop?" he remarked.

"He picked that out himself." Norma said quickly. "I wanted him to be Batman."

Alex kept his gaze away from her. He wasn't ready to be pulled into that blue dress again.

"This wasn't some elaborate plan of mine to have the boys dressed like this. I actually picked out a really nice Superman costume for Norman." she said quickly. "I know what this looks like. I know what people will say."

"Sybil is sending a message." Alex told her.

"What message?"

"That I'm not my father. Everyone needs to know that if I'm going to be the next Sheriff."

"I'm sorry. I'll take the boys and go home." she whispered.

"No, I want you and the boys to stay."

"I don't want you to feel embarrassed." she insisted. "That's the last thing in the world I want."

"I'm not embarrassed." he told her sternly.

He finally looked back at her and felt her gravity pull him in. He shifted closer to her and ran a hand along her waist. She leaned into him with perfect grace and ease. Her arms wrapping around his as if they were about to start dancing.

"I really like seeing your son in that costume." he admitted. "I know my mother kept it… hoping… that someday it would be worn again."

"I think she was hoping for a family member." Norma said sadly. "Not your girlfriend's kid."

"Norma, you're not my girlfriend." he said darkly.

He watched her face fall tragically. As if she had been struck with horrible news.

"You're the most important person in my life. Girlfriends and boyfriends are for high school kids. That's not what we have." he said.

She gave him a look of both annoyance and relief.

"I don't know what I would do without you." he went on. "I'm not afraid to let the town see us as a family."

He saw tears spring to her eyes and tried to wipe them away.

"I hate it when you make me cry like this." she said angrily. Her hands were careful to keep her makeup clean as she tried to wipe away her tears. "You have to be so damn romantic all the time? Why can't you just be a jerk every now and then?"

She was smiling though. Her smile making her face even more lovely.

"Plus you're looking really handsome tonight and that's not fair." she said childishly.

"Come on, Mrs. Gatsby let's get the boys and find Sybil. She needs to get her picture, right?"

"Gatsby and Daisy were never able to be together." she told him. His arm slipped around her waist and she was quick to lean into him.

"Well, lets not make their mistake." he said.

"Because we can't repeat the past." she added.

~ Sybil waved them down in the massive dance hall and had them meet the mayor and several city council members. Norma appreciatively watched Alex talk local polices with them while their wives fawned over Dylan and Norman who were behaving well under threat of no TV for a year.

"Oh, such handsome police men we have here in town." the mayor's wife said in high pitched voice. She had stooped down to admire Dylan's costume.

"Are you going to be Sheriff one day?" she asked the little boy.  
"Yes." Dylan said casually. "Deputy Romero and me, we're gonna work together. We're gonna ride around town together and then go fishing."

All of the adults laughed.

"Alex, I didn't know you were starting recruitment for the Sheriff's department so young!" the mayor joked.

"He's just a little infatuated with the job." Alex told him. "I guess I make it look easy."

"Son, are you a good fisherman?" the mayor asked.

"Yes!" Dylan said quickly. "I only fell in the bay once."

Everyone was laughing again.

"Don't worry, we pulled him out." Norma told the group with her best smile.

"And look at this little one!" A council man's wife said happily to Norman. "Such a cute bear costume! Where did you find it?"

"It was custom made." Norma said before Alex could answer.

"A cute little bear." the Mayor agreed. "Don't some of the old timers here still call you Little Bear, Deputy?"

"Sometimes." Alex said. His voice faltered slightly and Norma could tell he was only pretending to like these people.

"Oh, yes, I remember. Sheriff Romero was always called the Big Bear back in the day. Before that horrible scandal I mean." the councilman's wife reminded them.

"Isn't he in prison now?" another wife of a local politician added.

"So now you'll be the Big Bear of White Pine Bay? Just like your dad?" the Mayor asked. " **If** you become Sheriff I mean."

Alex didn't seem fazed by these comments. He shook them off with ease. Norma felt her blood pressure had gone up around these catty people. It was like being in high school again.

"I'm not my father." Alex told them with his ever ready stoicism. "It's time everyone understands that. I don't plan to put up with the same things he did."

"I would hope so." the Mayor said in his best politician's voice.

"Oh, none of us are anything like our parents." Sybil broke into the conversation. "Look at me, my father was a wealthy lawyer and the best Mayor in the town's history. All I've done with my life is aggravate everyone I've ever met. Which reminds me, Mr. Mayor, I know I submitted the funding proposal for the adult education classes to you months ago. Why haven't I heard back from your office? You know those classes can help people advance into better job placement. Please don't tell me you're dragging your feet until the election is over because of a budget issue."

"It's more complicated than that." the Mayor said in an irritated tone.  
"More complicated than the city budget which had a surplus for every Mayor until you were elected? Now we have a deficit for the first time since the logging industry pulled out? That's very interesting. Wait, no, not interesting. What's the word I'm looking for?"

"Suspicious." Alex chimed in helpfully.

"That's it, Little Bear. It's very suspicious that your administration is in the red and yet no social programs have been enacted, not streets have been fixed and no major projects have been green lit. Aside from the summer children's program, which was all done by volunteers and cost the city nothing. I've talked to the accounting department and I'm told we're dangerously close to a government shut down. I find that very suspicious, Mayor." Sybil said.  
"I think I may need to talk to the accounting department to." Alex said carelessly. "This sounds serious."

"One thing I hate, is financial misappropriation." Sybil sighed.  
"I'm sure there's a perfectly reasonable explanation." Alex said calmly. "I have a friend in the FBI, they always follow the money. It always leads to the responsible people."

"I never would have had to look into it if city hall hadn't dodged me about the adult education funding." Sybil shrugged.

"I think Wilson and I need to look into it." Alex added. "Maybe call in the forensic accountants from Portland."

"We will chair this budget issue after the election." The mayor said. His voice slightly faltering from his politician's demeanor.

"Yes, we will decide many things by election time." Sybil said with a smooth drawl.

Norma was looking at all the shocked faces during the debate. She wasn't sure what had happened exactly, but knew the Mayor was angry with Alex and Sybil. Possibly because the mayor had just been accused of steeling money.

She didn't have time to question the conversation too much, because a newspaper reporter arrived and wanted a picture of everyone. She was about to step away with the two boys when Alex's hand was pulling her by the waist to him.

"Alex, this is your thing. I don't want to ruin it." she whispered.

"Trust me, you're making it better." he said in her ear.

Sybil was moving the boys to stand in front of them. Everyone was giving a fake smile for the camera. Only Dylan and Norman appeared to be actually happy.

~ In the end, Alex was very pleased that he didn't back down from the mayor or the city council members. He had stood his ground and told everyone that he wasn't the Old Bear. That he was more than capable of being the next Sheriff and with Sybil's help, he wasn't afraid to point out corruption either. It didn't hurt that Norma was looking so beautiful and the boys were being charming to all the ladies present.

When the newspaper reporter came to take the group's picture, Alex pulled Norma close to him with Dylan and Norman standing in front. The Mayor looking a little nervous to have his picture taken next to Sybil. There was no doubt at all that this photo would be in color and on the front page of the paper tomorrow.

The reporter only asked for Norma and the boy's names. Not if she was Alex's girlfriend or just a date for the evening. Again, people in town already knew.

Although he was happy that he'd stood up for himself, he had to wonder what kind hornets' nest he'd kicked tonight. How soon would it come back to haunt him? It was entirely possible that the city council members could decline his nomination for the new Sheriff and hold an election by the people. Then again, that might be too risky. Alex had been in the paper so much lately. All his heroics and catching Gemma Harper's murderer on top of it. People were forgetting the Old Bear every day. It was possible Alex could easily win an election. Especially if it got out he was trying to investigate suspicious spending from the Mayor's office.

"Sybil." Alex said once he managed to track down the older woman. Sybil turned to him and smiled with her yellowed teeth.  
"Little Bear, you're looking very handsome tonight." she said sweetly.  
"Yeah, your plan worked." he snapped at her. "You shouldn't have used Norma and her kids to boost my career."

"What are you talking about?" Sybil asked.

"Having her son wearing that bear costume? The same one my mother made? You were making a statement that I'm not my father. You were forcing me to confront everyone at city hall who holds a vote for Wilson's replacement, and show them I'm not like my father." he explained.

"That wasn't the plan." she told him innocently.

"What?"

"That wasn't the plan, Little Bear."

"You wanted Norma to put her son in that costume."

"Yes, because I wanted you to feel what it would be like to have everyone in town know you're a father figure to those boys." she explained.

"What are you talking about? Why did he need a bear costume for that?" he asked.

Sybil rolled her eyes.  
"You want to marry Norma, right?" she asked. Alex nodded. "Well, Norma isn't sold separately. She has her two boys who will be your step sons. I wanted to make sure you knew and could handle what you were getting into. If you saw her child dressed in the bear costume, you would understand that you'd be their father. A step father, yes, but still a father to them. I wasn't comfortable with you marrying Norma until I was sure you could handle thinking of the boys as your own."

Sybil leaned away and judged Alex's expression. She pulled a cigarette out of her big black purse and motioned for him to follow her outside so she could smoke.

They wandered out to a large balcony to take in the impressive view of the carnival.

"You took that costume out of the house after mom died." Alex said once they were alone. Sybil face looked creepy in the flame of her lighter. She took a long drag of her cigarette and smiled.

"I will admit, it was a bit of selfishness on my part. You looked adorable back then, Little Bear. Everyone was in love with you. I've waited a long time to see another baby in the costume and I was worried it would never happen." She said wistfully. "I think you should marry Norma. As soon as possible if she'll have you. I think you'll be a good father to the boys and good husband to her. Maybe I'll get my wish and see you have a daughter before I die."

Alex felt any irritation at the older woman fade away.

"You know I was looking for that costume after she died for a long time." he said.

"I know." she said. "You would have kept it in a box in the attic. It needs to be worn. It's what your mother would have wanted."

"What would mom think about Norma?" Alex asked. He leaned over the railing and watched Norma talking with Mr. Decody near one of the rides. The two boys playing with Emma in her ballerina lady bug costume.

"Honestly? I think your mom would have found Norma a little intimidating." Sybil said. "But then again, your mother was easily scared."

Alex nodded. His mother would have been afraid of a tiger.

"But I think your mother would have learned to like Norma eventually. Once she saw how happy she made you." Sybil added.

Alex said nothing and watched Emma holding hands with Norman in his bear costume. The little girl smiling at him, and Norman too shy to want to hold her hand.

"For what it's worth, your father would have hated her." Sybil added.

"I know." Alex said with a smile. "Norma wants to kick his ass."

"She could probably do it to." Sybil huffed.

"Probably." Alex agreed.

He watched as Dylan, still in his police costume, glowered at Norman and Emma together. It was so unexpected the way Dylan reached out and pulled Emma's hair with a sharp, angry tug. The little girl dissolving into tears at having her hair pulled by a rotten boy.

"I better go." Alex sighed and nodded to the scene of Norma scolding Dylan for pulling a little girl's hair and Mr. Decody lifting Emma up and telling her it was alright.

"See you at the wedding, Little Bear." Sybil said lazily.

Alex had to go back inside and find a way to the carnival through the dance hall. He knew all the big shots in town were here tonight, but he still wasn't expecting to literally run into Bob Paris.

"Alex." Bob said with his horrid politician grin. "You know it's been a few weeks now. You still haven't called me about my offer. I'm beginning to think you're not taking me seriously."

 **My poor sister has finally finished season 4 of Bates Motel. She's so sad! Now she's like the rest of us. Watching edits of Normero set to sad music and reading this. It's going to be okay, Jen.**

 **I've had this hair pulling idea in my head since before I started this story. I just think it's the kind of think Dylan would do if he'd met Emma this way. Emma only wanting to play with Norman and Dylan being jealous because he already loves her.**


	56. Chapter 56

56.

~ Alex looked around the dance hall and knew there was no way they wouldn't be overheard.

"You really want to do this now, Bob?" he asked.

"We could always meet at my office." Bob Paris said.

"On second thought, I want to do this now." Alex said dryly. He spotted all the well to do city council members and the very rich men and women who profited off the drug trade.  
"You know, I don't know what you think you have on me, but you're in no position to threaten anyone. I've made some calls, Bob." he said in a low voice that was full of malice. "Rebecca hasn't exactly been careful with laundering your money. At least thats what a forensic accountant and tech specialist in Portland told me. Sent me a complete work up on all the online trading Rebeca does from an account under Tom Smith. Funny thing about Tom Smith, his passport photo looks an awful lot like you, Bob. Isn't that interesting? One call to the DEA and you're doing thirty years. Easy. So, I'd think very carefully before you threaten me. You wouldn't last long in prison. Not a guy like you."

Romero leaned in closer to Bob Paris and hoped he would grasp every word.

"I told you I'd burn you to the ground; I'm ready to prove I'm a man of my word."

Bob never lost that camera ready smile. He knew Alex had called his bluff, but was too proud to admit it.

"As for you exposing my relationship with Norma Bates, trying to have her husband's death investigated? Don't bother. Everyone in town will know we're together by tomorrow if they hadn't guessed already. I'm willing to roll the dice Internal Investigations will still rule his death justifiable. Especially with his criminal record of domestic abuse. I'm also willing to bet that Rebecca will be in some very serious trouble very soon for trying to launder that insurance check. We both know she will sell you out rather than go to prison." Romero said cooly.

"Alex, you need to think about this. You need to be on the right side of things here. You're planning to upset the order of this town. How it makes it's money. You need to think about what's best for everyone." Bob Paris said.

"We can have what's best for the town, Bob." Alex said. "But I'm not on your side. I'm not on your team. You threaten me, or my family again, it will be over before it's even begun. I think we both know I can be a real nice guy; till I decide it's time to break you."

Alex made sure his face was stone, when he stepped past his childhood friend.

~ "Dylan, I cannot believe you pulled that little girl's hair!" Norma practically shouted on the way home from the party. As soon as Alex arrived on the scene of the now infamous hair pulling, Norma had decided it was time to go home. Emma was still in tears and her father was trying to comfort her.

"That poor girl was so sweet to you and your brother tonight and she's going through medical issues. Why couldn't you have been nice to her?" Norma snapped.

"I don't know." Dylan said. His face was pulled into a pout that reminded Alex of Norma's brother. The two of them looking exactly alike at that moment.

"That's not good enough!" Norma shouted.

"Norma." Alex said calmly form behind the wheel. He had stayed silent while he drove Norma's car home with the boys in back. He'd carpool with her in the morning to work.

"I'm sorry." Dylan said without much feeling.

"Sorry?" Norma laughed.

Alex put a hand on her thigh to calm her down.

She immediately turned away from her son; too angry right now to speak.

"Dylan, you don't hurt a girls. Is that clear?" Romero said cooly. "I don't care if she's mean to you, or hits you. You are **never** ever allowed to hurt a girl. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Dylan responded miserably.  
"Because that's not the kind of man I want you to be." Alex reminded him. "Only bad men hurt women."

"Like when Sam hurt mom." Dylan said pitifully.

Norma and Alex exchanged looks.  
"Yeah, buddy." he said sadly. "Sam was a bad man because he hurt your mom."

"I didn't mean to make Emma cry, I just wanted her to pay attention to me." Dylan explained.

"Emma… hates you." Norman offered up in his angelic baby voice.

"No, she doesn't!" Dylan shouted at his little brother.

"Boys!" Norma shouted.

"Mom!"

"Dylan." Alex said calmly. Everyone in the car was quite when he spoke. "Dylan, you're grounded for another week. Do you understand why?"

"Yes." Dylan said sadly.

"And you and I are going to have a serious talk about how to treat girls. You don't get them to pay attention to you by pulling their hair." he said sternly.

"Okay." Dylan sighed.

He turned to Norma. Her blue dress hidden under the tuxedo jacket he had made her wear because of the cold. She gave him a look of gratitude at the way he handled the situation.

~ "I still can't believe he pulled that girl's hair." Norma sighed once the boys were in bed and they were free to retire of the night.

She had carefully taken the little bear costume off Norman and folded it for proper storage. She was glad the few hours out hadn't damaged it in the slightest. Alex's mother had done such excellent work, it would no doubt survive a thousand wearings or till the child grew out of it. But that didn't matter. It wasn't Norman's to wear and belonged to Alex's family. It needed to be in a cedar chest at his home. Something for him to remember his mother by, and not for her to use.

She was still in her flapper dress, but she had to remove the headband for the drive home. She wished she could stay in this dress forever. She loved the way it moved with her. All the heavy beadwork made her feel more regal than her normal clothes did.

Apparently, Alex liked this dress to. His hands immediately pulling at her hips and wanting to shift the heavily beaded fabric up. Her back was to him and she barely had time to regain her balance from the surprise attack before he was kissing her neck.

"Thanks for taking the lead back there." she said. Gracefully trying to ignore how his hands were moving up her dress.

"Where?" he whispered in her ear.

She smiled.

"In the car. With Dylan." she reminded him. "I think I'd still be shouting at him if you hadn't been there."

"Oh, no problem." he said.

"Were you planing on giving him the talk?" she asked.  
"What talk?"

His lips were still going after her neck. His hands maneuvering into dangerous parts of her body.

She tried to keep calm, but it was becoming more and more difficult.

"The sex talk." she prompted. "You were going to talk to him about the right way to treat girls. I was wondering if you were planning on giving him the sex talk to."

He pulled away from her and maneuvered her body to face him. She saw his expression was serious.

"Is that something you'd want me to do?" he asked.

Norma wasn't sure what was the right answer. She never had anyone give her the talk before and now that she was a parent, she wished someone had taken the time and suffered the embarrassment of answering her questions.

"Well, I think he'd be more comfortable talking to you than his mother." she explained. "I mean, he looks up to you, Alex. Why do you think he dressed like a police officer tonight? I trust you to tell him what he needs to know."

"He's only six. Isn't that a little young?" he asked.

"I'm not asking you to go into full detail about the mechanics of it." Norma said quickly. "It's just, he's obviously interested in girls now. He just needs a little guidance."

"Okay, what exactly should I say?" he asked.  
"I don't know!" Norma said in a panicked voice.

"Well, I don't know either." Alex laughed. "My dad never gave me the talk."

"Well, someone did." she laughed. "Just tell him what you wish someone had told you. That whole thing about good men are nice to girls works."

"Yeah, but nice girls always want the bad boys." Alex sighed.

"Well, a good woman always wants a good man." she retorted.

"Ouch." Alex whispered. She grinned when she felt his hands wrap around her waist again. His body pulling hers to him in giddy anticipation.  
"Did I mention how much I loved this dress on you?" he managed to say before they lost themselves to the moment. His breath felt hot on her skin and Norma felt her legs grow weak.

"Do you want to help me with the zipper?" she whispered. "It's in the back."

"No." he said in a husky voice.

She didn't understand what he meant until he was lifting her up and maneuvering her onto the bed without further comment. He was quickly on top of her, his body feeling perfect even in their costumes.

"Don't you want to get out of the penguin suit?" she asked when she felt the hardness of his erection between her own legs. Did he really want to take her when they were both fully dressed?

"That's how James Bond rolls, madam." he said in a terrible English accent.

Norma started giggling. She couldn't help it.

"Oh, Mr. Bond." she sang out in a high pitched voice. "I'm so glad you saved me from that evil Doctor… Golden… something!"

"Baby, that's awful. There's no excuse for not knowing your Bond villains." Alex said as he nuzzled her ear.  
"Well, that accent is pretty awful." she admitted.

"So, we're not good at role playing?" he asked.

"No." she said with a sly grin. "I think we should just be ourselves."

Her legs went up higher around his waist and felt his need through the barrier of their clothing.

"You looked beautiful tonight." he told her sincerely.

She blushed at the way he was gazing at her.

"You made a very handsome Mr. Gatsby." she admitted.

"Better than Redford?"

"Lets not talk crazy, Alex." she snapped at him in a stern voice.

He was smiling at her in that sweet way that she knew spoke so many words of their secret and subtle language. He kissed her with such surprising gentleness and yet with a comforting passion she felt she could be content in this moment forever.

He was pulling her hands over her head and she felt her body surrender to him completely. Her skin was on fire again when his lips caressed her neck. She had never felt this way with another lover before. Alex knew exactly what to do to make her come alive. It was like a drug with him. His lovemaking was addictive, powerful and something she couldn't do without. Her own hips were rising up to meet him, demanding his attention like a spoiled child.

"We need to have a serious talk about marriage." he panted in her ear.

She nodded. She had heard what he'd said, but it didn't register right away. He had rendered her too helpless to think about anything more than wanting all of him at that moment.

"Okay." she whimpered slightly.

She felt his hands pushing her panties down and didn't have time to think before she felt him maneuver inside her. Her body demanding the natural contact of him because she was helpless to her own desire.

 **So happy to read all your reviews. Give me a shout out if you want to see something in this story**.


	57. Chapter 57

57.

~ Norma looked over her picture in the newspaper. She wasn't prepared mentally for seeing herself, Alex and the boys on the front page of the White Pine Bay's only paper. Yet, there she was, in the same group photo as the mayor and his wife.

Sybil looked positively fiendish in her costume, but Norma was quick to notice and appreciate how well she and Alex looked together. She read the description under the picture in bold ink.

 **Sheriff's** **First** **Deputy Alex Romero, his companion Norma Bates, and her sons Dylan and Norman.**

Thank God they didn't use the word girlfriend. Alex was right. I wasn't the right word for their relationship. It didn't come close to describing how they really were. Norma wished she could show this picture to everyone in her past who had ever called her white trash. If they could see her now. Her picture in the paper, standing next to Alex. Both of them looking so glamorous and beautiful that evening; never mind that the mayor was in the picture to.

Had she imagined it last night, or did Alex say something about getting married? No, surely she had just dreamed that part of it. Everything about last night had been like their date night. A wonderful fairy tale she wanted to curl up inside of forever.

She heard Dylan's door open and her oldest venture out.

"You know you're still grounded, young man." Norma said without looking up.

"I know." he sighed.

"I'm going to take Alex to work this morning and then I'll be right back home. Are you and your brother going to be okay?" she asked.

"Yes." Dylan said and peered over at the newspaper picture she was still enraptured with.

"That's us." he nodded at the color picture of them on the front page.  
"Sure is." Norma said with a smile.

Dylan looked it over in awe.

"We look like a real family." he whispered.

Norma felt her breath catch. The way Alex's hand was resting on her hip. His other hand coming down around Dylan's shoulders. Pulling the child together with his younger brother, and of course, little Norman in his bear costume. Norma hadn't even realized her youngest was clutching tightly to her hand in the picture. His little face was wide eyed and adorable with all that he was seeing. They did look like a real family. Their body language alone said they were only interested in each other, no one else at the party mattered. Norma was leaning her head into Alex, and she could see that hand of his resting on her hip as though he'd done it a thousand times before.

"Yes." Norma agreed. "We do."

"Are you and Deputy Romero going to get married soon?" Dylan asked.

Norma was taken aback by the question. She didn't want to explain to her son that she didn't ever want to get married again. That sometimes being married isn't fun at all. She was happy being single and without being under the control of a husband.

"Dylan." she sighed. "That's not something anyone should just… leap into. Okay? I mean marriage is very complicated."

"If you got married, he'd be my dad, right?" Dylan asked.

"Dylan you have a dad. He may not want to be in your life anymore, but you have a dad." Norma corrected him. She pulled her oldest on her lap and smoothed his matted hair down. "No, if Alex and I got married, and I'm not saying we ever will, he'd be your step dad."

"What's that?" Dylan asked.

"A step dad?" Norma asked him and her son nodded. "Well, it's a man who is married to your mother, and who takes on the role of your father, but who isn't your biological father."

"Like Sam?" Dylan asked.

Norma shook her head.  
"Alex isn't like Sam." she told him.

"I know." Dylan agreed.

The two of them looked over the newspaper picture for a while.  
"You looked pretty last night, mom." he told her.  
"You think so?" she asked.

"Yeah." he said.

"Would you like it if Alex and I got married one day?" she asked him.

Dylan nodded. A happy look on his face.

"I think you and Deputy Romero should get married. He can live here all the time and take me to school in the police car and everyone will know he'd my dad. He keeps us all safe and you're always a lot happier when he's here."

Norma felt that traitor smile tug at her face. She didn't want to encourage Dylan into thinking she wanted to get married again.

"Well, it's not just Alex that makes me happy, honey." she said. Her arms wrapping around his shoulders. "It's you and your brother to."

"We never made you happy before." Dylan said sadly.

"What do you mean?"

"You didn't like me much before we moved here. You always liked Norman better." the little boy confessed.

Norma let out a deep sigh. She didn't want to lie to her son, but she didn't know how to tell him the truth.  
"Dylan, I didn't like myself much before we moved here. Remember how I was always angry at everything?" she asked. Her son nodded. "Well, that's because I didn't like my life and I took it out on the people who didn't deserve it instead of the people that did. I was mean to you sometimes, honey and I'm sorry. I'm sorry if you ever felt I didn't love you as much as your brother. Whenever I looked at you, how amazing you are, I always felt like I had failed you as a mother. That you we're trapped in a bad life with me and I couldn't find a way out for us."

Dylan looked up at her and she was reminded of her brother. The hang dog expression Caleb used to make when he was feeling bad about something.

"Dylan, it wasn't right to be so angry all the time, but I promise it won't happen again." she said. "You and your brother are the best things I've ever done. I'm so proud of you and the man I see you becoming."

She saw Dylan looking serious for a moment. The gravity of their life before hanging over his head like a horrible weight. She had to lighten the mood.  
"But no more pulling little girl's hair." she reminded him with a grin. "I know you like Emma, but don't do that."

Dylan shook his head.

"I don't like her. She's just a girl!" he protested.  
"You **love** , Emma!" Norma teased and held him tight when he tried to squirm away.

"No, I don't!" Dylan giggled.

"You want to marry her, and I'll have lot of cute grand babies!"

"No!" Dylan cried and tried to break free of his mother's restraints.

"Next time you pull a girl's hair your mom and I will make you marry her." Alex said interrupting the moment. Norma and Dylan turned to see Romero, dressed in uniform for work coming into the kitchen.

"Hear that?" Norma asked with a smile and a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah." Dylan said with his own grin that said he knew they were only teasing him. Norma kissed her oldest child on the forehead.

"You're too young to get married, Buddy." Alex said helping himself to some coffee.  
"Do you need me to make you something before you go to work?" she asked.

Alex shook his head.  
"We have a big meeting this morning and it's going to have food there." he said.  
"Donuts?" she questioned.  
"Not all cops eat donuts." he told her. "But yes, there will be donuts."

"I want donuts!" Dylan cried out.

"Not till you're working with me at the Sheriff's department." Alex said.

"No." Norma shook her head. "Dylan is going to be a doctor. I don't want him carrying a gun or shooting people."

"Doctor's are no fun. No girl wants to marry a doctor." Alex grinned.

"I'm gonna be a Sheriff." Dylan said proudly.  
"No." Norma shook her head. "Stop encouraging him, Alex."

"I wasn't the one who let him dress up like a cop last night." Romero teased.  
"Right, I forgot about that." she sighed.

~ "Dylan, I'm just dropping Alex off at the station. I'll be right back." Norma told her oldest.

"Okay." Dylan nodded and kept eating his cereal.

"No TV. You're still grounded." Alex reminded him.

"I know."

"Norman is still asleep, so don't wake him up." his mother said.

Dylan nodded and the adults quickly made a mad dash for Norma's car.

"I hate leaving them home alone like this." she said quickly. "What if CPS come by?"

"CPS isn't going to be here at 9am on a Sunday morning, Norma." Alex told her.

"I should have just taken the boys with us." she admitted. She put the green Mercedes in reverse and quickly backed out of her driveway. She put it in drive again and roared down the lane at top speed.  
"No, it's fine, we need to talk about last night anyway." he said.

Norma was too busy trying to get him to work quickly so she could race back home to her abandoned children.  
"Why what happened last night?" she asked.  
"You know what happened last night."

"What? The party? Our picture was in the paper. I thought you wanted that." she said. She turned down another lane that would take her into town.  
"No, not the picture." he said. He looked uncomfortable. His eyes avoiding hers.  
"What? What is it?" she asked. He was making her nervous.

"Last night, after the party." he said slowly. She tried to catch a green light but it turned yellow too soon and she had to slow down.

"What happened?" she asked letting the car stop at the red light.

Alex took a deep breath.

"Norma, in the heat of the moment, I forgot the condom." he said quickly.

She felt her body tense up and she looked at him as if he'd just said she had an incurable ailment.

"What?" she asked. She felt her eyes going wide and knew she must have looked terrified because he was quick to apologize.

"I'm sorry. Look, I'm sure it will be fine." he said rapidly.

"Alex, are you serious? You forgot?" she asked. "How could you forget? We're always so careful!"

"We were in bed and it just happened." he said. "I've never forgotten before. That was the first and only time."

"Alex!" she almost shouted. Her heart was pounding and she could feel the blood rushing to her ears making a horrible ringing sound that didn't stop.

She put her hand to her head and tried to focus. The light turned green and a car behind them honked for them to go. She forgot where she was driving to.  
"Norma, I promise no matter what happens, it's going to be okay." Alex said gently. He was watching her as if she might break into pieces at any second.

"Alex, I can't believe you forgot." she breathed at last. "Oh, God."

"Norma, we're going to be fine. You might not even be ovulating." he said.

She hoped he was right. In all the frenzied passion of their new relationship, she had forgotten to keep an exact track of her cycle and fertility days. Sam had a vasectomy after Norman was born and she hadn't had to worry about these things. Now, she could feel herself start to panic.

"This is not fine, Alex." she said harshly. "You and I haven't been together that long."

"I know." he said. "I'm sorry."

"This is a disaster."

"Would it really be that bad?" he asked. His brows were furrowed and he looked genuinely hurt. "To have a baby together?"  
"Yes." she spat. "Yes, it would. You think it's so easy. All men think it's easy to just have a baby. That it's some kind of accomplishment and their work is done. Alex, I can **not** have a baby right now."

She swallowed hard. She refused to look at him and he seemed to avoid looking at her. When they arrived at the station he took a moment to collect himself.

"I need to get back home to the boys." she said. Her voice shaking and she was trying not to cry. "I shouldn't have left them alone."

"Norma, lets not worry about this until we have something to worry about." he said calmly. "It may be nothing."

She shook her head.

"I hope so." she cried softly. "I…" she shook her head.

"I'll call you later today and check on you." he said soothingly.

She nodded.  
"Norma?"

She looked at him and saw his face was kind and collected.  
"You and I? We're going to be fine. Okay?" he told her.

She felt the tenseness in her body ease at seeing him.

"I'm sorry, Alex." she said. "I didn't mean to… insult you like that."

"I can shake it off." he reassured her.

He was about to step out of the car when she felt the need to say more.

"Alex?" she called back to him. He turned and patiently waited for her to go on.

"Um… if it happens… if it happens… I'll be happy it's with you." she admitted.

He gave her a faint smile.  
"I'll be happy it's with you to." he told her.

She nodded and felt ready to be sick.

"It probably won't happen, Norma." he told her quickly.

"Right." she breathed.

"Are you mad I told you?" he asked.  
"No, I'm mad we did it three times last night without protection, but not mad you told me." she breathed.

"It's going to be okay." he told her calmly.

"I know." she said.

She didn't believe it, but tried to be reassured anyway.

Alex waved at her before walking into work. Norma tried not to cry and backed out of the parking lot. Tears falling down her face anyway.

 **Loving the suggestions for what you want to see. Dylan talking to Alex about being a Dad will defiantly be in an upcoming chapter. Get ready for serious drama right now.**


	58. Chapter 58

**At the end of this chapter, please read the addendum. It's important.**

58.

~ Dylan was playing in the living room when Norma came home. She already felt nauseous at the idea she might get pregnant. Life was horribly unfair sometimes. She and Alex got along very well, she had no doubt he would be a good father, but she couldn't have another baby with Norman so young and her life coming together at last. She knew he wouldn't want her to get an abortion either. The very idea of termination made her feel even sicker. It was the one thing that she was certain they would agree on.

Alex, being Alex, would want to do the right thing and marry her. He had a reputation to hold together and having an illegitimate child with his girlfriend would hurt his career. He would defiantly feel obligated to marry her, and Norma would agree because she didn't want to hurt him or his career. They would get married quickly and pretend the baby came early. At first, if the baby was healthy, everything would be wonderful. Everyone would be happy and in love with the newest member of the picture perfect family.

But the late night feedings and then mysterious sicknesses that accompanied that first year would leave them both exhausted. Not to mention Norman's epilepsy was still an issue. A new baby would be stressful for him to. What if his seizures got worse? What if he went into a coma? Not only that, Alex wasn't thinking about the terrible twos. The teething and crawling and how that bundle of joy would destroy everything.

No, he'd get sick of it really quickly and want to walk away. He'd want to leave Norma and her now three kids to fend for themselves.

She winced in pain at the feel of the sharp talons of the black bird. It was pecking her face and eyes now. It's sharp beak ripping her skin and drawing blood. Her whole life was over and she wanted to die.

"Mom?" came a worried voice.

Norma blinked and looked down at her oldest son. Dylan was looking at her curiously. "Mom, are you okay?" he asked.

Norma took a deep breath and tried to tell herself she might not get pregnant.

"I'm fine, honey." she whispered. "Just thinking. How's your brother?"

"He's awake, but he's playing with his dog." Dylan told her.

"You two were okay here?" she asked.

Dylan nodded.

"I feel like I'm a bad mom for leaving you alone." she said. Her breath coming short like she wasn't really even there.

"You're not a bad mom." Dylan said. "You're a good mom. A girl at my school, her mom is a bad mom."

"Oh yeah?" Norma laughed. "What does she do that's so bad?"

"The other kids say that Blair's mom is really bad." Dylan said. "I don't know what she does, but Blair got really mad at one of the girls for saying stuff about her mom. Blair said she would kill that girl and that she knew how to get away with it."

Norma was a little surprised by the statement.  
"Honey, that Blair girl sounds like she's not a good person." she told him calmly. "I don't want you to hang around her, okay?"

"Okay."

Norma remembered how Alex was teasing her son easier that morning and felt a little better. Somehow, his soothing presence reached her even without him there physically. Perhaps it was because she needed him most just now.

"Besides," she breathed. "You're going to marry that little Emma girl."

She smiled at Dylan who looked horrified.  
"No, I'm not gonna marry her!" he declared.

"I thought you loved her!" Norma laughed. Her body feeling a little better at seeing her son looking so embarrassed. The black bird still there, but it's attack didn't hurt so much.

"No, I don't even like her!"

"I know, because you love her!" Norma insisted.

"No!"

~ Alex sat through a briefing on the arrests made last night. Halloween was always the time for pranksters and teens getting into trouble. So it was no great shock that the station had been busy all night with kids getting picked up by their parents after they'd been caught in various acts of rebellion and destruction of public property.

"At least you got to go to a party." Deputy Washington said after the meeting was let out. Alex tried to give the deputy a smile but couldn't manage it.

He'd always like Deputy Washington. The two of them had know each other in school, but hadn't really hung out. Still, the stocky black man always seemed to have Romero's back. Washington wasn't overly good, but her never seemed to want to do anyone else in the world wrong.

"I had to make small talk with the mayor." Romero told Washington. "You have any idea how hard it is to make small talk with a politician? I wanted to shoot myself."

"Don't shoot yourself." Washington said in casual tone. "I saw your picture in the paper today. You got a nice looking lady on your arm, you got your health and your freedom."

Alex knew what was coming and finally smiled for real.  
"You got it all." Washington finished happily.

"I need a ride to the fair grounds. I left my the truck there last night." Romero said.

"Sure thing." Washington told him. "I think Wilson might need you in his office."

Alex glanced to Wilson's office and nodded.

The Silver Fox was waiting for him at his desk.

"You and Norma take a nice picture." Wilson said when Alex walked in and shut the door behind him. He held up that morning's paper with the color photo on the front page. "Why were you dressed like a penguin?"

"I wasn't a penguin." Alex said with a sigh. "I was supposed to be Gatsby. It was meant to be a couple's costume. Norma was Daisy, I don't know."

"I love 'The Great Gatsby'." Wilson mused. "Tragic romantic couples are the best. Doesn't matter if it's Daisy and Gatsby, Kathy and Heathcliff, Rhett and Scarlett, Rick and Ilsa, Lancelot and Guinevere, Jack and Rose… or even Alex Romero and Juliet Mathews."

Alex looked up at Wilson in shock. His thoughts so muddled down over the situation with Norma that morning, he hadn't been paying attention.  
"What?" he asked.

Wilson was looking him over appraisingly.

"The girl you mention a few weeks ago, Juliet Mathews?" Wilson reminded him. "She was your high school sweetheart and she moved away?"

"What about her?"

"She didn't just move away." Wilson told him.

"I know. She disappeared." Alex said coldly.

"Why did you say she moved?"

"Because, it was easier than explaining how her step-father was into some pretty bad people. The FBI thinks these bad people took her and killed her to send a message or in retaliation. Juliet was most likely killed very badly Tom. I don't like to think about it. So I just tell myself she moved away." Romero explained.

"I don't mean to rub salt in the wound, Alex. I know it wasn't that long ago." Wilson said. His voice evident he didn't feel an ounce of sympathy. "You were the last to see her."

"Yes." Alex said indifferently. "My statement should be in the police records."

"Yes, it said you and Juliet were walking home after spending the afternoon swimming in a lake in the woods. That you parted company about two miles from her house. She told you she would walk the rest of the way."

"She had done it before. We didn't have a car." Alex explained.

"Right, you reported your car was stolen about a month before." Wilson said.

"Yes." Alex nodded.

"Would it interest you to know that car was found two years ago in Colorado? Sold to a cash only salvage yard."

Alex shook his head.  
"Car thieves, Tom." he said indifferently.

"Alex, there is no easy way to say this." Wilson sighed. "When I came in this morning, I found a package waiting for me."

Romero watched Wilson open his desk drawer and pulled out the one thing he hoped he would never see again.

The old Keds sneakers were wrapped in a clear evidence bag, but Alex could tell exactly who's they were and what it meant.

"In the description you gave the Sheriff's department, your father's department, you said Juliet was wearing a blue shirt, cut off jean shorts and white Keds sneakers." Wilson told him.

He nodded to the evidence bag.

Alex said nothing. He stared at the shoes he remembered so well. All the writing was still there. The drawings, the messages he, Juliet and their pack of friends had done to her shoes to customize them. To make her feel loved. She had worn them with pride to school everyday. Always able to see Alex's name prominently displayed on the side of her left shoe. He'd even drew a large red heart beside it.

"It's nice when the evidence is so… spelled out." Willson added. "I mean, you have Bobby Paris' name here, Keith Summers, Jimmy Brennen and a few others that have moved out of town since graduation."

"Where did you find those?" Alex asked. He pretended to be horrified and curious. "Was… was there a body… I mean… anything?"

"I told you, they were in a package for me this morning." Wilson said.

Alex nodded. He felt cold and numb.

"Any note?" he asked. "Those are Juliet's shoes. She wore them all the time."

"The names on them?"

"We all hung out." Alex admitted. "We were kids. We got bored one day and wrote on her shoes with a Sharpie pen."

"I see." Wilson told him. "You didn't mention that in the report."

"I guess I never thought about it." Alex shrugged. "She wore them all the time. Any idea who sent them? Did they say anything at all about Juliet?"

"There was a note." Wilson said with a nod.

"And?"

Wilson looked at Alex critically.

"You need to tell me what happened to Juliet Mathews, Alex." Wilson said.

"I told the police everything."

"We both know the last time you saw her wasn't walking down that road." Wilson told him. "Was there an accident? Maybe you were scared you'd get blamed?"

"What?"

"If you know where Juliet is, you need to tell me." Wilson said.

"Is that what the note said, Tom? That I know where she is?"

Wilson refused to answer.

"You know, a lot of people thought I knew what happened to her." Alex nodded. He felt real tears sting his eyes. "I really wish I knew where she was right now. I wish more than anything she was here with us right now."

"Alex, what happened?" Wilson asked.

"You think I did something to her? Because I was her boyfriend and I loved her?" Alex asked. His voice was shaking and tears dropped freely now.

"Answer the question."

"I am answering the question, I've been answering the question for over a decade now." Alex spat. "My story never changed, Tom. We have new evidence? Tell me what the note said. How did they get her shoes?"

Wilson looked saddened for a moment. He opened his desk drawer and pulled out another clear evidence bag.

Alex felt his stomach twist when he saw the yellowed newspaper article about Juliet's disappearance. Next to it was a tattered and aged piece of notebook paper. He saw Juliet's handwriting there. Written with it's girlish loops, and embellished with pictures of flowers and hearts. Wilson gave it to Alex to read.

 _Alex,_

 _I'm not sure it's not such a good idea now. It's hard for me to write this and I just need to get my feelings out before I see you tonight. We're going to be with our friends and I don't want to say anything to give it all away. I know it has to stay between us._

 _I'm so nervous. This plan is really stupid, but what choice do we have? What if we get caught? What will happen? Please, just tell me everything will be okay. I trust you. I've always trusted you._

 _I can't go home again. It's so bad there. He's going to kill me. I just know he's going to kill me. I just want to be happy, Alex. I'm so scared all the time around him. It's like one wrong step, and I'm dead. I'd rather die than go back there._

 _I don't know if I'm brave enough to do this. I know you think this is best, but I'm scared. I love you, and I'll always love you._

 _Juliet_.

Alex was trembling slightly as he read her note. Her pretty, feminine letters reminding him so much of the girl he lost. How scared she had been to just go home. He'd actually forgotten that.

"What was she talking about in the letter, Alex?" Wilson asked. "What was the plan?"

Alex nodded and handed the letter back to Wilson. He lied easily. It was a lie he'd told enough times that it was believable. Even Sybil believed it.

"Juliet and I were going to elope right after graduation. We planned to get married in the courthouse and…" he took a deep shaky breath. Her letter had shook him up more than he expected. But maybe that was a good thing. Made it more believable that he had no idea what happened to her. "We were young and… in love. We didn't have a car or a place to stay, but we didn't even think about that. We had very foolish plans, Tom." he finished.

"Who was the person she was afraid of? She said he was going to kill her." Wilson asked.

"Her step-father." Alex said sourly. "Who else? He didn't like her seeing me because I was the Sheriff's son. He has a record of abuse till the day he was arrested by my dad."

"On the same day Juliet went missing." Wilson added.

"I know." Alex said soberly.

"I need to know, Alex." Wilson said. "Did you kill Juliet?"

 **So the obvious solution is for Norma to get the Plan B. Right? Keep in mind this story is set in October/November of 1998. The Plan B wasn't available until June of 1999. Then, only by prescription. I'm sure they're were other methods like a morning after pill, but I that's not where I want this story to go. Besides, I think it really speaks to how helpless she and Alex would feel to have this happen to them.**

 **Also, yes, Alex forgot on purpose. He'll never admit it, but… yeah he did.**

 *** Addendum * 9:50 pm in Texas right now.**

 **I posted this so late** **because, after a welfare check at his home, the sheriff's department in La Grange Texas called to tell me that my father was found dead this morning. He had died in his home some time after the fourth of July. He was legally declared dead today.**

 **I've always been honest with people about his issues and I will continue to be now. He had a drinking problem. It was very severe and he couldn't shake it. He had a number of health concerns that required medication. He was in constant pain from a fractured hip that never healed properly. Unfortunately, he and I were not on the best of terms at the time of his death. When he drank heavily, he tended to be very hurtful to me.**

 **I love my father very dearly, and he loved me just as much. It hurts me that I still feel so much anger at him for not letting me help him. His health was in rapid decline for the past six months after his neighbor and friend of more than 20 years also passed away. He was very depressed and this caused him to drink to excess everyday. The police were used to coming to the house and doing a welfare check on him because he refused to talk to friends and family in the past few months.**

 **I have mentally prepared for the moment for a while now, and I am going to be okay. I knew my dad wasn't getting better. I take comfort in the fact he died at home and not in a hospital or in a nursing home. **

**Today my beautiful sister came to help me make arrangements along with my wonderful husband of 15 years and my dad's long time best friend and his wife. They also came to help me clean the house. I'm like Norma when I clean the house. It makes me feel better.**

 **Today, was actually a day that should have been sad, but it was one where those that loved my dad best, came together and we laughed and shared stories about him.**

 **I've always been closer to my dad than my mother. I've always been my father's daughter. It's strange to think I won't have him to talk to any more. That I won't hear his voice.**

 **I know I'm posting too much personal information. Yet, you have all read my stories everyday. You, more than anyone else know my heart. I don't share my heart or my stories with people I know in real life. All of you have taken the time to come and live in this little world I've woven. I fashioned it to comfort us after Norma's death. How grand it would be to rewrite the past and fix all our mistakes.**

 **If you would like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me if you follow # thesamecolorblue or # Normero. I post teaser pictures for the next chapter everyday. I will keep updating each day. I love you all.**

 **Leah**


	59. Chapter 59

59.

~ Washington dropped Alex off at the fairgrounds so he could finally get into his SUV and be alone for the rest of the day. He felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. All thoughts of Norma and their impending situation were pushed out of his mind. He felt like he was the same rash, heartbroken teenager he'd been the day he told everyone that he last saw Juliet walking alone down a dirt road.

People had wanted to believe it. Wanted to believe him. He was the son of an intimidating Sheriff after all. Alex had always been a good kid. Which, who his father was, how could he not be? So when the FBI questioned him about Juliet, not many ever thought he was lying.

He had pictured her so many times walking down that lonely stretch of road, it was an easy lie to tell after a while. It was a lie that only a few people knew about, and only one other person here would have evidence to the contrary.

He drove strait to Bob Paris' ugly lake house and wasn't at all surprised to find him at home on a Sunday afternoon. Bob greeted Alex at the door with that same cocky smile.  
"Was wondering when you'd show up." Bob said.

Alex glared at him and walked through the opened front door without being invited in.

"You… you know why I'm here." Romero said nervously.

"Gosh, Alex." Bob said. "I have no idea."

"Cut the shit." Romero told him.

"Ah, see I knew you'd come around." Bob said. "Wilson showed you Juliet's shoes."

Alex felt his heart break a little more to hear someone like Bob Paris say her name. It was hard to believe they'd ever been friends at all. Apparently, Bob felt the same way.

"If feels like it happened to someone else, doesn't it?" he said. "Back then I mean. We thought we were so smart, so invincible. Everything was… so much more dramatic."

"How?" Alex asked. "She had them on the last time I saw her."

"Are you sure?" Bob laughed. "It was dark, who knows what she was wearing."

"That note. I never saw that note till today." Romero breathed. His head was spinning at the idea Bob had seen Juliet's note before he did.

"It was in her bag." Bob said casually. "I have that to. Everything she had on her when we did what we had to do. When we did what needed to be done, Alex."

Romero felt his memoirs shift. Gone was Juliet walking along the dirt road in late afternoon. The lie he'd always told himself melted away like smoke. In it's place was Juliet crying in the dark woods that night. Her clothing covered in blood, and the sheer panic of what had happened and what they had to do now. Alex remembered Bob Paris as an eighteen year old kid standing next to her. He'd been a good person back then. A friend they had trusted and turned to for help. How time distorts things.

"You have her bag?" Alex asked. "You have Juliet's bag? Her things?"

"Of course." Bob shrugged. "She left it behind didn't she? Awful mess to. I mean... all that blood."

Alex was breathing hard. He couldn't think strait.  
"What… where? What did you do?" he asked.

"I don't know what you mean, Alex." Bob shook his head. "I'm not the one who came up with the plan, was I? No, I just covered it up. I was happy to do that for you because I was your friend and I knew you'd do the same for me."  
"Tell me right now… tell me everything." Alex said. He had to know. Ten years was long enough. He couldn't take not knowing anymore.

"You didn't want to know then and I promise you don't want to know now." Bob Paris said calmly. "Plausible deniability and all, remember?"

Alex was ready to kill his old friend. He wanted to strangle him to death and he knew he could do it.

"Alex, what you said at the party hurt my feelings." Bob went on. "I mean, after all we've been through, all the secrets we've kept for each other. Those secrets will defiantly get out and it won't just be me that will serve time. I mean, murder is murder."

"Murder." Alex said. The word tasted foul in his mouth. "You have her old belongings, Bob. That proves nothing."  
"Did you know I bought the land near the woods where we all used to play?" Bob said with his cheesy political grin. "Remember? You and me. Jimmy Brennen and Keith Summers before those two became the town drunks. All of us practically lived out there. I didn't want the developers to destroy it. So I bought it as a kind of nature preserve. Maybe the time has come to tear it all down. You know? Do some digging, build some condos or something."

Alex felt his blood run cold. He knew then exactly what Bob was getting at. What he meant by digging around in those sacred woods.

"Bodies won't stay buried long, Alex." Bob said. "Are you sure you don't want to play ball with me?"

Romero felt his world had turned upside down. He kept seeing Juliet's face flashing before him. The way she smiled. How serious she looked when they sat together in home room. How scared she was that night and how he had held her and promised he wouldn't let her go.

"No one needs to find anything out, Alex." Bob was saying. "I promise, no one will get hurt. No one you care about anyway."

"If I don't…" Romero managed to say. "If I don't play ball?"

"People you care about…" Bob sighed. "They will get hurt. Truths will come out about Juliet. About you."

Romero threw Bob a dark look.

"Oh and don't bother killing me, Alex. If anything happens to me, my lawyer has the keys to my safe deposit box and all of Juliet's things as well as a very well worded statement on what happened that night are there."

Romero felt his legs turn to rubber. His mind working, but coming up with no solution. Everything and everyone he loved was in peril. There was no way out.

~ Norma was waiting for Alex to come home. She'd been nervous all day. He said he'd call to check in with her, but he didn't. She had to shrug it off. His work probably kept him too occupied today.

' _It's nothing to worry about_.' she told herself. ' _You love to worry_.'

She had checked her little pocket calendar for her last period, but couldn't remember how many days it would be till she could expect ovulation. She should have been more careful. She should have gotten on birth control as soon as she started seeing Alex more romantically. This was just as much her fault as it was his.

She cleaned her kitchen less frantically and allowed her mind to wonder into deeper, darker thoughts. Alex would never let get an abortion. She sensed it went against everything he believed in. Besides, she couldn't do something like that. She couldn't do it with Dylan or with Norman and she had been in much more horrible situations back then.

The idea that she had survived that made her feel slightly better. Alex wasn't the worst person in the world. She loved him and she knew he loved her. He was good to her kids and would be good to her. Maybe this could work. At least for a while anyway.

She was glad when she heard the lock tun in the back door and the sound of Alex coming home.

"How was your day?" she asked casually without turning around. She nodded to the boys in the living room. Dylan was working on a school project, and Norman was playing with his growing collection of stuffed animals. Her youngest was fond of neatly arranging them all over the house like he was decorating.

"Busy." Alex sighed. "Sorry I wasn't able to call you. I… I went to the gym. That's why I'm late."

She felt him move behind her. His hands taking hold of her hips and his chin resting on her shoulder.

"You okay?" he whispered.

"I'm fine." she told him honestly.

"Are we still good?"

She leaned back into him. His body catching hold of hers. She craned her neck to kiss his temple and smiled.

"Of course we're still good." she told him.

He seemed happier at that, but his features were still troubled and dark.

"Alex, what's wrong?" she asked.

"Nothing." he sighed.

"I was looking at my… um… calendar and I don't think I'm even ovulating." she lied. "We might be okay."

"It's not that." he said.

"What then?" she asked.

He refused to look at her. She could tell he was a million miles away from her.

"Just… ghosts." he said.

~ "Did you want to talk about it?" Norma asked. Dinner was over, and they were enjoying a quite evening on the couch without the TV on. Dylan, still on punishment, was in his room. Norman was occupied with his stuffed animals and didn't seem too concerned with the adults in the living room with him.

"About what?" Alex asked indifferently.

Norma smiled.  
"About anything." she coaxed gently. "You know I'll listen."

"I know." he said.

He took her slender fingers in his own hands and looked over each one of them carefully. He liked how Norma kept her nails clean and without polish. Her palms were always soft even with all the work she had to do. By comparison, his hands were corse and hard.

"Alex?" she asked.

"It's not something I can talk about, Norma." he said at last.

"That bad?"

He tried to look at her, but couldn't do it. He felt a lump in his throat that wouldn't go away.

"Are you going to be okay?" she asked.

"Yeah. It's taken care of." he said dismissively.

She was quite for a moment. Allowing him to play with her fingers like he was fond of doing at times.

"Do you want to talk about what happened this morning?" she asked instead.

His smile was as faint as a ghost.

"If you do."

"I'm sure we'll be fine." she told him. "The more I think about it."

He only nodded.

"You know… when I told Sam I was expecting…" she tired to laugh, but she seemed to have lost her motivation. "Well, this situation is much better."

"How soon will we know for sure?" he asked. He felt the need to know for sure.

"A week. Two weeks at the most. I already scheduled and appointment with my doctor." she told him.

"Long wait." he sighed.

He sensed she was uncomfortable talking about it. That he wasn't saying the right things or making her feel better.

"Do… you want to talk about what to do if we are?" she asked gently.

"No." he said quickly and shook his head. "There's no reason to make plans if we don't know."

"Oh."

They were quite for a while. Alex so deeply lost in thought, he almost forgot Norma was even there. Her youngest son tottering around the living room, putting a stuffed owl on top of the TV.

"I think we should move." he said at last.

"What?"

"I think we should move." he said again. "Out of state. I could talk to Charlotte. See if they still want me for the team in San Fransisco."

"Um… yeah. San Fransisco sounds nice." Norma said cautiously. "You would want us to move with you?"

"Of course."

"ALL of us?"

"Why not? San Fransisco is nice. It doesn't have to be there. We could move to the east coast." he offered.

"Alex, where is this coming from?" she asked. "What happened?"

Alex felt his tongue swell in his mouth. He tired to look at her again, but couldn't. He knew she would see strait through him. Finally, he took a deep breath and met her eyes. The blue there was as warm and clear as a summer sky.

"I… I love you." he said with difficulty. "I love you very much."

 **Thank you all for you kind words about my dad. I'm doing alright and I really appreciate the good thoughts.**


	60. Chapter 60

60.

~ "You called me to come in on my day off because want me to take a lie detector test?" Alex asked accused Wilson. "Why? I mean after everything we've been through, you can't trust me?"

"That's not what this is about, Alex." Wilson said. "New evidence has turned up in Juliet Mathews disappearance. Admittedly, you were the last to see her."

"I didn't kill her." Alex said. "I know you have to look at the boyfriend at the time, but I didn't kill her."

"I didn't say anything about her being killed, Alex." Wilson said calmly.

Alex took a step back. It was like he had stepped into a trap he should have seen coming. It was a mistake only guilty people make.

"She hasn't been seen or heard from in over ten years, Tom. I think it's safe to say she's no longer alive." Alex told him.

"Okay." Tom said. "I still need you to take this test. I want to eliminate you as a suspect."

"No."

"Your father's old partner is going to administer it. It'll be fine."

"No, Tom. If you have evidence I did it-"

"Deputy." Wilson interrupted him. His voice was hard and authoritative. "Don't mistake this for a request. If you refuse to do this, I will suspend you and I will investigate this disappearance with you as a prime suspect."

"Well, if you do it with as much gusto as you did with Gemma Harper's disappearance, we should have another innocent, homeless drifter in prison very soon." Alex snapped.

It was Wilson's turn to take a step back. Never, in all the years they had worked together, had Alex ever spoken to him like that.

"He's waiting for you in interrogation room three." the Sheriff said.

~ Declan Rodgers was a former deputy of the Sheriff's office. He had worked closely with the Old Bear before he became Sheriff. After the promotion, after Alex's mother was taken to the first of many mental health facilities, Declan had grown tired of the Old Bear and his dictatorship. He knew the Sheriff, good intentions or not, was becoming a dirty cop to the rotten core.

"Alex." Declan said. The older man giving the younger one a smile and handshake. "So good to see you again. It's been too long."  
"Still doing lie detector tests?" Alex asked instead of a proper greeting.

Declan didn't mind the rudeness.  
"Keeps me busy." he said kindly. "I saw you in the paper."

"Lets get this over with." Alex snapped.

~ Romero tried to control his heart rate, but he didn't like being hooked up to this machine. Didn't like knowing Wilson suspected him. There was too much to be nervous about right now, with Norma and Bob Paris, that he was sure the test would read inconclusive.

"Just answer yes or no." Declan said in that kind voice that always put people at ease. "You had to take one of these tests before you were hired. Remember?"

Alex took a deep breath.

"Yes." he said in a dead tone.

"Alright." Declan said. "Lets begin."

Alex waited for the questions. His back to Declan. He could hear the older man's pen on paper, hear the wall clock ticking. His thoughts turned to Norma. How she looked in her blue flapper dress on Halloween. How she smiled at him in such a way that he felt warm all over. He thought about fishing and thought about how Norma teased him about fishing being a sport.

"Is you name Alexander Romero?"

"Yes."

"Do you live in White Pine Bay?"

"Yes."

"Do you intend to lie to me today?"

Alex was thinking about Norma that day on the bay. Her hand pulling up her dress to show him her scar. Her well shaped legs looking beautiful in the light of dawn in that flowing dress.

"No." Alex said simply.

"Do you work for the White Pine Bay Sheriff's department?"

"Yes."

"Did you **kill** Samuel Bates?"

"Yes."

"Did you kill Samuel Bates in defense of yourself and of another person?"

"Yes." Alex answered.

Norma's bruised face and broken arm flashed before his face and he knew his heart rate had spiked.

"Sorry." he said. "It's just, I'm seeing the woman he had hurt romantically now. I don't like to think about what he did to her."

"Understandable." Declan said calmly. "Yes or no answers from now on."

Alex took a deep breath and let it out.

"Is your mother's name Theresa Romero?"

"Yes." Alex sighed.

"Did you grow up in White Pine Bay?"

"Yes."

"Is your mother still alive?"

"No."

"Did you report Sheriff Romero to the DEA for fraud and murder charges?"

Alex almost stopped breathing. Wilson must have wanted this question answered once and for all. Alex knew Wilson always suspected him.

"Yes." Alex said honestly. His voice shaking slightly.

"Did you provide evidence to the DEA against Sheriff Romero?"

"Yes."

"Did you provide evidence to the FBI against Sheriff Romero?"

"Yes."

"Did you provide evidence to the FBI and DEA about other guilty parties in the Sheriff's department?"

"Yes."

"Did you attend Emerson High School?"

"No."

"Did you attend White Pine Bay High School?"

"Yes."

"Were you ever in the military?"

"Yes."

"Were you in the Navy?"

"No."

"Were you in the Marines?"

"Yes."

"Did you know Juliet Mathews?"

"Yes."

"Did you **kill** Juliet Mathews?"

"No."

"Do you know the whereabouts of Juliet Mathews?"

"No."

Alex felt the pain in his stomach now. Norma wasn't there to comfort him.

"Do you know who killed Juliet Mathews?"

"No."

"Have you ever been married?"

"Yes."

"Are you currently married?"

"No."

"Have you ever been arrested?"

Alex knew exactly where this was going.

"Yes." he sighed.

"Do you know a woman by the name of Sarah Makeska?"

Alex's mind felt numb. He said nothing.  
"Do you know a woman by the name of Sarah Makeska?"

"No." Alex said at last. He was honestly unsure if that was a lie or not. He didn't recognize the name.

"Was your arrest from a domestic assault?"

"Yes."

Alex felt the need to explain.

"My wife at the time dropped the charges." he said.

"Please answer yes or no." Declan said sternly.

"Fine." Alex sighed.

Declan waited a few moments. Alex could hear the clock ticking and that pen scratching. He tried to summon Norma to keep him calm, but she just wouldn't come. Instead, for some reason, Sybil wandered into his head.

' _Just take a deep breath, Little Bear_.' the old woman said in a raspy voice. ' _If all else fails, you can work with me in the strip club.'_

Alex felt a bubble of laughter rise up and he instantly felt calmer.

"Was your car stolen on March 8th, 1988?"

"Yes."

"Is Juliet Mathews dead?"

Alex felt his head spin.

' _Alex, it's okay_.' Juliet was in his head now. He could see her clear as day. Her hair the color of sunlight and her eyes so deeply blue, they could rival Norma's in beauty. Her facial features were like Norma's to. Her nose and lips were delicate and naturally regal looking. She and Norma could have been mistaken for sisters. Juliet smiled at him and he remembered what it was like to be sixteen and hopelessly in love.

' _We both know I'm okay now._ ' she said in a dreamy voice. His vision of her fading every second. ' _Nothing can hurt me now._ '

"Is Juliet Mathews dead?"

"Yes." Alex croaked. His voice weak and broken.

"Do you know what happened Juliet Mathews?"

"No."

Tears fell shamefully out of Alex's eyes.  
"I'm done. Get me out of this thing." he ordered. His hands stripping off the pulse light on his finger and then going for the belt around his chest.

He wiped his face, clear of tears and heard Wilson storm in.

"Well?" the Sheriff asked.

Declan looked from Romero to Wilson.

"I don't normally share the results with the person being questioned." Declan said nervously.

"I know the results." Alex said hotly. He was pulling on his coat. There were ghosts all around him and he couldn't be in this room anymore. "I don't know where Juliet is or what happened to her after I last saw her. I know she's dead, because she would have let me know she was alive. She wouldn't have left me… in this… **abyss** of doubt. Always wondering what happened."

He turned to the Sheriff and felt real anger and resentment for him for the first time come to a head.  
"If you wanted to know about my father, Tom, you should have talked to me like a man. Come to me like a real man and asked me. I would have told you. I'm not ashamed of turning the Old Bear in. I'm only ashamed I didn't do it sooner, and that I let you conduct business from his example." Romero said. His voice felt as deadly as poison.

He turned and left them standing there. He could feel his world crumbling apart. He felt himself losing everything with the arrival of a pair of white keds.

~ Wilson found Alex in the parking lot of the local bar a few hours later.

"Maggie called me herself. Said you've had enough and needed to be taken home." the Sheriff said. "She took your keys."

"Yeah, she over reacted, I'm not that drunk." Alex admitted. His speech slightly slurred.

He had been drinking since he left the station. It was the only way to shut his mind off. It was getting late, Norma would start to worry if he wasn't home soon.

Wilson looked over his first deputy. Saw that Alex's street clothes were wrinkled and sloppy looking. The Sheriff parked and walked up to meet his deputy sitting on the back bumper of his SUV.

"I'm sorry I had to do that." Wilson said.  
"No, you're not." Alex huffed.

"Fair enough. I didn't **enjoy** having to do that." Wilson corrected.

"Well, I didn't enjoy it either."

"I wanted to know about your dad because I wanted to see if the rumors were true. I'm glad to know they are."

"I'd leave it alone if I were you." Alex said. The edge in his voice was dangerous.

"Alright." Wilson said. "Well, I can't take you home to Norma like this. She'd be upset. What say I take you over to my place and you sleep it off for a few hours? I can call Norma up and tell he you have to work late so she won't worry."

"She'll worry anyway." Alex said bitterly.

"That's what women do when they love us." Willson said.

Alex shook his head.

"It wasn't revenge." he said.

"What?"

"Turning my dad in to the DEA. It wasn't revenge for my mother." Alex explained. "That's what everyone thinks, but that's not why I did it."

"Why then?"

"Because we can't make this shit work, Tom. We can't have a community where some people are above the law." Alex said.

"Ever think that that's a dangerous way to live?" Wilson asked. "Going around, upsetting the natural order of things? Ever think how that puts a target on you?"

"I don't care about me." Alex snapped.  
"What about Norma?" Wilson asked. "You love her. Anyone can see that."

Alex dug around in his inner coat pocket and pulled out a worn and broken red box.

"What's that?" Wilson asked. The Sheriff took the box when Alex didn't respond and opened it. Every time Romero saw his mother's engagement ring, he felt a wave of pride. His dad had done many things wrong in his life, but picking out a ring for his future bride wasn't one of them.

"It belonged to my mother. I don't know why he didn't burry her with it on. She loved that ring." Alex said dryly.

"I can see why." Wilson said.

"Think Norma will like it? I mean it's not new."

"Hell, son, I'd marry you for a diamond like that." Willson joked.

Alex allowed himself to smile.

"I've been carrying it around for…" he had to think how long it had been. "Since we found Gemma Harper's body."

"Still haven't asked her yet?"

" **We** …" Alex sighed. His voice annunciating the important words. "We are in the middle of a **pregnancy** scare, and **now** is not the right **time**. We **still** don't know for sure yet."

"Oh."

Alex took the ring, still in it's original box and stashed it deeply in his front coat pocket again.

"If we are pregnant, I don't want her to feel like I'm marrying her because it's the right thing to do." Alex reasoned.

"Very true."

"I want to marry her." Alex said.

"I know."

Alex scratched his nose and tried to shake off the bad feelings he had from that day.

"The domestic assault charge." he said. "The one I was arrested for? It was against her brother, not my wife at the time."

"I know. I read the report." Wilson told him.

"I was still in the service when I met her, her brother and I had a fight. We were drinking and in the house and she called the cops. He was arrested to. She left me after she dropped the charges. Overnighted me annulment papers because of her religious beliefs, and I signed them and overnighted them back. I was married to her less than six months." Alex explained.

Wilson said nothing.  
"I wanted you to know that it was her brother and not her. I've never hit a woman." Alex said. "Not ever."

"I know that."

"Do you really think I had anything to do with Juliet's disappearance?"

Wilson looked troubled.

"You know more than you're saying, Alex." the Sheriff told him. "But that's always been your way, hasn't it?"

Alex leaned back and tried to think of a good reason not to tell Wilson the truth.

"Tom." he sighed. "The truth about Juliet… it's not just about-"

Alex heard three shots ring out around them and felt a powerful pain to his chest. He leaned over and tried to catch his breath. He reached for his side arm, he knew someone was shooting at them, but belatedly, he realized he didn't have his gun on him. It had been his day off and he was in street clothes.  
"Tom!" Alex called out. "Did you see them?"

Romero heard tires screeching and he winced in pain and tried to straiten up. He saw the black luxury sedan speeding out of the run down parking lot.

"Tom, it's a… it's a black…" Romero panted.

Stupidly, he realized his chest hurt. A sharp, knife like pain stabbing him over and over. Romero touched his coat where the pain was and felt wetness. He opened it to see a horrible amount of blood staining his shirt.  
"Tom, I'm hit." Alex said calmly. He wasn't prepared to see his own blood like that. He felt slightly faint at the idea he had a gun shot wound to the chest. "Tom, call it in. Call it…"

He could hear people coming out of the bar and they were screaming.

Alex felt his legs turn to rubber and he fell onto the wet asphalt.

"Tom!" Romero called out and finally spotted Sheriff Wilson on the ground. The silver fox was laying on his side. His face serene and untroubled. His eyes were open and looking right at his first deputy.

"Tom!" Romero panted. His breath coming short and he already heard sirens. "Tom, don't… don't tell Norma about any of this. I'm fine. I'll be fine."

Alex winced in pain and started seeing stars.

"Tom, I'm fine. I'll just get patched up and go home. Don't call Norma, Tom. She'd only worry. That's not… that's not good… for the baby." Alex said.

Then he fell, head first, into darkness.

 **I wanted to let everyone know I had a lovely day with my sister. We spent it looking over old pictures of our dad and going through all his old memories. It was very nice.**


	61. Chapter 61

61.

~ Alex thought, at first, he was a little boy again. The farm he'd grown up in was bathed in yellow sunlight, and everything was warm and safe. Everything was they way he remembered it from his childhood. Right down to his mother, sewing at her table and telling him to be home by dark.

"Playing in the woods again, Alex? You and your friends pretending to be Robin Hood?" his mother asked him. Her pretty face lighting up with a radiant smile.  
Alex stood there, a grown man, staring at his mother who'd been dead for seven years.

"They always make me the Sheriff of Nottingham." he complained numbly. It was like they were in a play. These were his lines, but he spoke them without feeling.

"That's because your dad is the Sheriff." his mother told him with a smile. "You should be proud of him. It's not an easy job."

"I don't want to be the Sheriff." Alex said. He looked down at himself and saw he was already in uniform. A gold badge in the shape of a star was hitched to his belt; the same one Wilson wore. He numbly looked at the bright red blood blooming on his shirt from the gunshot wound.

"You have to be the Sheriff, Alex." his mother said lightly. "If that's what your friends want."

"I don't have any friends here."

"Sure you do. What about Bobby Paris and that Jimmy Brennen boy? What about Keith Summers?" she asked. "Don't you play with them?"

"I hate them. They're bad people. They became broken men. You were right."

"What about that Juliet girl you're always talking about?"

"I made her go away." Alex said numbly. "She's never coming back. She's a ghost. I made her die."

"Well, lets see, who's left?" his mother mused. Her face lit up. "Oh, that Norma lady. She's a little abrasive, dear, but she makes you very happy."

"She does make me happy." Alex said in a dead voice.

"You'll have to get rid of her for sure." his mother said sweetly.  
"No."

"Alex, no arguments. You're the Sheriff and the Sheriff is always the bad guy in the story." his mother told him sternly.

"No, I don't want to be the bad guy anymore. I'm going to marry Norma. We're going to be happy." Alex told her; but it felt more like pleading.

"Darling, we both know you and Norma won't have a happy ending. It's just not meant to be." his mother said sweetly.

She turned off her sewing machine and cut some lose thread.

Alex was shaking his head.

"No." he said again. "No, I love her."

"You love her, but you can't protect her." His mother told him wisely. "Don't you feel it, Alex? Don't you feel everything that's coming for her? The things and people closest to her will cut her throat out. You can't fight them all off either, she won't let you. She can't see it, she **won't** see it."

"I can fight them off." he insisted weakly. "I can."

"Don't argue with your mother." she said. "I'm trying to help you. That Norma Bates will break your heart."

"What? Like you did?" Alex accused.

His mother's face changed and she was no longer the sweet, but fragile creature he'd aways known. Her color became grey and and her lips blue. She was still beautiful but she became more regal and stone like as her son watched in horror. As if sensing her change of mood, the sky outside darkened into a storm and the whole house was bathed in a deep, unnatural blue.

"You're the Sheriff, Alex." his mother said. His image of her was becoming blurred. "The Sheriff is never the good guy in the story. The Sheriff never has the happy ending."

~ Norma was resting her head on Alex's hand. She had made sure it was free of all the IV tubes sticking out. She had been afraid to touch him when he came out of surgery. He'd been so pale and breakable when the nurses allowed her in to see him. Like he had died on the table, and she had confront just the shell of the man she loved. Never in her life, not when Sam was beating her, or when her father hurt her, or when her brother raped her, did she ever feel so afraid and helpless.

Alex was a rock. Nothing could break him. She had always been sure of that. Now, seeing him breathing rapidly on the hospital bed, tubes and wires everywhere, she realized he wasn't magical after all. He was just as mortal as any anyone else.

She looked up at his sleeping face and tried not to start crying again. A Deputy named Washington had come to the house and told her Alex had been shot that evening. In a blind panic, she grabbed her purse and almost left a pot boiling on the stove.

Washington had kept her calm enough to turn everything off and to gather her and the boys in his patrol car. He drove them to the hospital where Alex was still in surgery.

Deputy Washington had gotten her coffee and even called his own wife to come and look after the boys a little while so Norma could be alone with Alex in the recovery room. Mrs. Washington seemed like it was normal to be called into action like this. She said she'd be happy to take the boys with her to her own home for the night. Explaining she had children their age and would welcome company.

Norma had trouble shaking the face Dylan made when the doctor explained Alex had been shot in the chest. She had stopped worrying about her lover for the moment and had to focus on her child. After the doctor had left, explaining it was a through and through and Alex was very lucky, she knelt down and hugged both her sons.

"He's going to be fine." she said weakly. "You heard the doctor. Alex was lucky."

"Why did someone shoot him?" Dylan started to cry. "Why would they do that?"

Norma hugged her oldest tighter. She didn't know what to say.

She knew Dylan would have a hard time over Alex getting shot. Not even Mrs. Washington, with her natural ability to nurture and sooth any pain had helped.

"Sometimes bad things happen." she had told Norma's son. "Sometimes bad things happen."

Norma felt Alex's pulse under his wrist as he lay unconscious. He had briefly woken up when he was moved from surgery. His dark eyes and lashes looking almost gothic on his pale skin. He didn't respond to Norma talking to him. Only went back under again.

She looked at the clock and saw it was almost three a.m. He'd been asleep for hours now.

"We need to get through this." she told him sadly. She leaned closer to him and smoothed down his hair. She didn't want him to have his hair messy when he woke up. Already she'd cleaned his face for him and rearranged his blankets because she was sure he was cold. "You need to wake up and let me know we can get through this, Alex."

Her vision blurred and tears ran down her face. She leaned in closer to him.

"This is the worst thing that's ever happened to me. Please, don't leave me. I can't do this without you. I know I always say I want to do it all on my own, but I can't. I don't want to. I don't want to be alone. The only time in my life that I've been happy is with you. You make me so mad sometimes but you're the only one who can make me happy to."

She ran her fingers over his cheeks. His skin felt too cold.

"Just come back to me, Alex." she whispered. "We can move if you want. It's fine. Whatever you want. Don't make me have to call Sybil and Charlotte and tell them you're gone. You know they'll be really upset. Dylan won't ever be the same without you. He loves you so much, Alex. You're the only real father he and Norman ever had. I'm so thankful for you. Everyday, I'm so thankful."

She was kissing his lips and felt ready to cry again.  
"Alex? It's time to wake up." she ordered. "Please."

Her mind was flooding with dark thoughts of losing Alex. The black bird wasn't alone anymore. There was a whole flock of birds sitting in the room with her now. Watching her with greedy, hungry eyes. They would kill her. She knew they would kill her if he let go.

She smoothed down his hair again and straitened his hospital gown so he looked a little neater. She couldn't think about losing Alex. Even though they had only been in each other's lives a few months, she wondered how she'd survived without him her whole life. It always felt like they had an indescribable connection.

Since that first night, in the pouring rain, she had felt it. Felt their bond as if it were a physical thing. She had been smitten by him taking down and arresting Sam like he did. Added to that, him taking them to that hotel and ensuring they were safe. Arranging for Sybil to come and set her world to right again. Then, he never stopped being there. Even if he had almost run over her son. He'd shot and killed her estranged husband, saved her and her children from being beaten to death. He'd fought with her endlessly about fishing, even taken her out on the boat that beautiful morning. He'd allowed her to neglect him because she was afraid of caring for him, rescued her from drowning in her car and saved her boys from the same fate. He'd taken her home and cared for her in a way her own family never had. He'd been a real father to her sons, always guiding them and teaching them. She couldn't have asked for a better man around her children. Her children, in turn loved and trusted him completely. Even Norman, had clung to him like Alex was his real father that day at the hospital. Then, as her lover, he had made her feel beautiful, desirable and alive. No one had ever made her feel like that before. He always made her feel safe, calm and cared for. He really was her white knight.

"Alex!" she cried softly.

"What?"

Norma opened her eyes to see he'd begrudgingly woken up. He looked cranky and upset that she'd woken him up.

"Alex?" she asked hopefully.

He looked like he was hung over. His eyes blinking at the harsh lights in his room. He almost went back to sleep again.

"Hey, you're okay." she whispered happily. She kissed his lips softly and he groaned.

"I have to go to work in the morning, Norma." he said groggily.

She laughed. It was so funny she was so relived, she just had to laugh now.

"No, you don't." she giggled. "No, you're going to be off for a while."

Alex leaned back in bed and looked at her.  
"Why are you dressed?" he asked.

She ran her fingers over his face and looked at him, trying to remember every detail now that his eyes were open and he'd come back to her.

"Alex, you're in the hospital." she said calmly. Her smile felt so big he must think she was kidding.

"No, I'm not." he argued.

She started laughing again. He was really going to fight with her about this?

"Yes, you are."

"Are you crying?" he asked weakly.

"No, I'm just glad you're awake. I was getting worried." she told him.

"I'm awake." he assured her. "Did you have a bad dream or something?"

She kissed his cheek.

"No, I'm fine." she said.

"Well, I'm fine to. I'm going to go back to sleep." he said. He started to close his eyes, but Norma made him stay awake.

"No, Alex." she said quickly. "You need to stay with me for a while."

"I'm staying with you." he said groaned. "I married you didn't I?"

Norma hid her smile behind her hand.  
"Did you?" she laughed.

"Yeah." he said.

"Was it a nice wedding?" she asked. Happiness had bloomed inside her like a large bird starching it's wings. This bird frighting off all the black birds around her.

"I guess." he sighed sleepily.

Norma was hit with a fit laughter again.

"Oh, you guess?"

"Yeah." he sighed.

"Okay. Did I look pretty?"  
"Oh… you always look beautiful, Norma." he told her sleepily. "Except when you're asleep."

"I'm not pretty when I'm asleep?" she grinned at him.

"No. You drool a lot and you make a weird face."

"I do?"

"Yeah."

"But you still love me, right?" she asked. She couldn't resist the chance to tease him. Even now, in his hospital bed, she couldn't pass up the chance to torment him a little.

"Oh...Yeah."

"Even if I wear stripper clothes?"

"When did you get… the...the stripper clothes?"

She was smiling, but with his eyes closed like this, she was afraid he might not wake up again. She rested her head on his non injured shoulder.

"Tell me we're going to be okay." she begged.  
"We're going to be okay." he said. His voice already dull and wanting to go under again.

"I love you." she said. "So much."

"Norma?" he asked. His eyes snapping open.  
"What? What's wrong?"

"Did I get shot?" he asked. He was awake now and seemed to be worried.

Norma swallowed hard.

"Yes, you did." she told him. "You were shot in the shoulder, but it missed your heart. You were in surgery for a few hours, but you're over the worst of it."

"I told Wilson not to call you. I was fine. Did he call you?" Alex asked. He was trying to sit up and look around his hospital room.

"Alex." she said gently. She didn't want him to panic. "I want you to lie still."

"I saw the car that did it." he insisted. "Black, luxury sedan. I need to talk to Wilson."

"Alex." Norma said in the parental tone she used only for the boys. He looked at her in surprise. "I need you to relax and not move around so much."

"No, I need to talk to Tom." he insisted. His voice sounded like he was in pain.  
"Alex, Sheriff Wilson was killed." Norma told him at last.

She watched her lover's face fall at the news. Disbelief, followed by heartbreak.

"He's gone. The paramedics said he was dead when they arrived. Two bullets hit him in the chest, a third went through his neck and hit you. I was told he was most likely the target." she said calmly.

Alex looked dazed.

"I have to call Tom." he said at last. His voice breaking slightly from the shock.

"I want you to relax."

"No. I need to get out of here. Where are my clothes?"

"I said, you need to stay in bed." Norma practically barked.

Alex laid back into his pillow and allowed her to arrange his bedding again.

"They boys are staying with Deputy Washington's family tonight." she told him. "I'll be here with you. In the morning, if you're feeling better, they said you can have something to eat."

He nodded and let her cover him up like he was a child.

"I dreamed about my mother." he confessed sadly.

"You did?" she asked. His voice suggested it hadn't been pleasant.

"There's no happy ending." he said sadly. "I'm the bad guy."

Norma gently smoothed his hair back again.

"We got our happy ending tonight, Alex." she whispered. "You're going to be okay."

Alex's hand was gripped tightly to hers. He looked ready to start crying. She had never seen him like this before.

"You're not the bad guy, Alex." she told him confidently. "You could never be the bad guy. Don't listen to dreams, okay?"


	62. Chapter 62

62.

~ Norma had to help Alex shower, dress and even put his shoes on for the funeral.

"This is the worst!" he spat angrily when she tired to do his tie.

"Alex, stop it!" she scolded and was forced to redo his tie again. It was easier to get Dylan and Norman into their good clothes for the funeral. Alex was the biggest baby of them all when it came to dressing up. He was being released from the hospital, even though his wound was still awful to look at and would require new dressing everyday.

He stood still long enough for Norma to do his tie and help him into his suit. Her required a sling for his arm and could barely grip a fist right now on his wounded side.

She was dressed in a simple black dress with no jewelry at all. She hoped her modest appearance wouldn't look too plain at the service. She didn't want to embarrass Alex.

"Where are the boys?" he demanded for the third time.  
"I told you, downstairs with Sybil. Remember?" Norma sighed.

"Oh yeah." he nodded.

"She's been looking after the little kids today and I've been looking after the big kid." Norma said without trying to hide her annoyance at him.  
"Which big kid?" Alex asked.

"Now, after the service, if you need to go home and rest, just say the word." Norma told him. "You're still on pain meds and everyone will understand."

"The pain meds don't work."

"Yes, they do."

"Norma, everything still hurts." he insisted petulantly.

"That's because you've been fighting me dressing you, now hold still!" she snapped.

"You know, I did get shot. I could be dead." he said in a voice that wanted pity.

"Yeah, yeah. Mr. Drama Queen." she said. "You know I was in the hospital a few times myself."

"I remember. Your broken arm. You still looked cute though."  
"I know it." she told him easily. "Actually I had to go to the hospital twice before that. They found a human being inside me and the doctors made me push him out." she told him as if it were a science fiction horror story. "Happened again a few years later."

She and Alex exchanged a malicious smirk as if they were school children. Her fingers arranging the collar around his tie.

"By the way." she said in a conspiratorial voice. "I took an early pregnancy test last night. I think we're in the clear."

Alex looked at her sadly.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

She shrugged.

"Still early, but it's a good sign." she said.

"Yeah." he agreed. "It's a good sign."

"I've already got an appointment for blood work to make sure. Then, I think it's for the best I go on the pill." she told him.  
"Do you really not want more children?" he asked her skeptically.

"Do you really not want to be shot in the chest again?" she asked him sarcastically.

"I don't mean now, but in the near future."

"I can't think that far ahead, Alex." she sighed. "I'm just trying to get through today. You were shot, my boys are a mess, my house is an even bigger mess, I'm really starting to think I need anxiety medication and I feel guilty about having to need them."

"Norma, these pain meds aren't working." he complained again.

"Alex, you'll be fine. You're standing up on your own and walking."

"It still hurts."

"You're not supposed to feel on cloud nine." she sighed. "I can't have you high at the funeral of your best friend."

"I don't want to go."

"I know."

"His wife." Alex said.  
"I know." Norma agreed. "I met Mrs. Wilson while you were in surgery. She's lovely."

"What is she going to do now?"

"She's going to go to Myrtle Beach to live with her sister."

"She lost her husband."

"I know, Alex." Norma said sadly.  
"They were married over twenty-five years."

Norma put a hand on his good side.

"I know." she whispered.

"Hazards of marrying a Sheriff." he said sadly.

"Come on, the boys are waiting for us in the lobby. They're dying to see you." she said.

"Yeah."

"You have to pretend you're not hurt at all." she reminded him. "Dylan was really upset. I've never seen him cry so hard."

"At least someone felt bad for me."

"Stop being a cry baby."

~ The boys were looked scared and anxious to see if the rumors were true and Alex Romero had lived. Sybil sitting patiently next to them in a rather unassuming grey suit dress. Her outfit, complete with a white ruffled collar, made her look like the sweet old woman she definitely wasn't. The three of them, all dressed very nicely for the funeral were waiting in the secluded waiting room for him to arrive.

"Smile." Norma coached, and Alex tried his best to look happy. He wasn't in that much pain, from the wound, but he didn't want to feel anything today. On the day you bury your best friend, a man who was more like a father to you than anyone, you wanted to be numb.

"Are you okay?" Dylan asked nervously. His blue eyes, a perfect match to Norma's, were wide at finally seeing Alex after a few days in the hospital.

"I sure am." Alex said easily. He had waved the hospital staff away with the wheelchair that was meant to escort him out to the parking lot.

"It's the rules, Sheriff." one of the nurses said.

"Get that thing away from me." he practically barked.

Norma seemed unfazed by his sudden outburst.  
"See, Dylan?" she told her oldest. "Alex is going to be just fine."

"Somebody shot you." Dylan said. His voice had taken on the same tone as a frightened child, which, if Alex thought about it, he was.

"Yes, they did." he told the little boy honestly.

"Did it hurt?"

"Not at first, no." Alex admitted. "I was just surprised."

"Dylan." Norma said gently.

"Sheriff Wilson was shot dead in the parking lot." Dylan told him.

"Honey, we're not going to talk about that." Norma told him more forcefully. "I want you on your best behavior in the church."

The boys nodded at her. Their expressions still worried. Sybil stepped close to him then and he leaned down to let her kiss his cheek. The smell of her cigarettes was comforting.

"You scared me to death, Little Bear." she whispered. "Don't ever do that again."

"Yes, ma'am." he told her.

Sybil did look heartbroken. Her normal demeanor and feisty personality seemed to have been as subdued as her outfit.

"Are we ready?" Norma asked. Alex nodded and they all left the hospital to go to Tom Wilson's funeral.

~ It was a beautiful service. The large church was standing room only and Alex, Norma, the boys and Sybil were given the front pew across the aisle from Tom's widow. Donna Willson was her husband's opposite in every way possible. Where he had been tall, slender and ruggedly handsome with his hair that lovely silver, Donna was short, overweight and kept her red hair loosely tied in a bun.

Norma hadn't realized Tom had been married to a hippie. He seemed far too rigid to have his life partner be such a free spirit. Still, opposites attract sometimes. If she needed proof, she only had to look at her and Alex.

She glanced at Romero while the minister gave a very touching eulogy about loss. Alex's face looked troubled, but that was to be expected. Dylan had insisted on sitting next to him and even wanted to wear the black arm band all the town and county policemen were wearing. Norma having to quickly pin the bands on Alex's arm to because of his sling.

Everyone in town seemed to be there. All of them stealing glances at Norma and her children next to Alex. She sat up a little straiter and tried not to think about it. Her youngest child didn't like being in his suit and crawled up on her lap. She allowed him to curl into her arms if he remained well behaved.

People had expected Alex to give a speech, he was sworn in the day before yesterday in his hospital bed as the new Sheriff, but he had decided not to. It was better to let the professionals handle speeches for now.

After prayers were read, Mrs. Wilson and her children were the first to stand and leave. Tom Wilson had requested a closed casket service and Alex hadn't wanted to go to the wake. Alex and Norma stood up next. Dylan copying everything Romero did. Norma glanced back to make sure Sybil was behind her. The older woman never missing a stride as the walked out as a family.

Alex shook hands with Donna, and the newly minted widow had even smiled and hugged Norma.  
"Tom thought the world of you." she had whispered to Norma's surprise.

"He did?" she asked and Donna nodded.

"He was glad Alex had found someone."

After that, it was waiting for the other people to exit the church. All of them wanting to shake hands or hug the widow. All of them eager to see Alex and ask how he was doing.  
"I'll be back at work tomorrow." Alex told them.

Norma wanted to correct him, but she smiled politely and shook everyone's hand that had met and spoke to Alex. All of these people seemed nice to her. All of them treated her like she was Alex's wife. A few of the town's people even patting Dylan on the shoulder as he stood protectively beside Sybil.

Norma was proud Alex had stayed long enough to attend the graveside service. It was a brief prayer, a folded flag for Tom's military service, and then it was over.

Alex had to shake more mourners hands and introduce Norma. Everyone seemed honestly pleased to meet her. She knew that a funeral for a beloved man wasn't the time or place, but Norma couldn't help but feel more connected with the community. Perhaps it was because she was standing next to Alex, the new Sheriff and a respected town official. Perhaps it was because everyone seemed to treat her like she was important because she was with him. They were treating her like she belonged. Like she, Norma Louise Calhoun, had an important place here.

When she saw Alex looking slightly winded, she decided it was time to go home.

She quickly stepped closer to Donna Wilson and told her Alex needed to go home and rest. Donna had nodded and gave Norma another hug.

"Dear, I want you to call me later." she had said. "I was a Sheriff's wife for a long time. So if you need to talk about anything."

Norma nodded and secretly wished Donna was her mother. Donna, short and overweight with frazzled hair, seemed like an eternal mother in life. She was a giver and never grew tired of caring for others. All mothers should be like Donna Wilson.

Norma was grateful Sybil was keeping the boys in check for the service and they all left the cemetery together. Alex never getting ten feet without someone wanting to shake his hand and talk to him.

~ It was almost dinner time before they finally got back home. Alex feeling the pain in his chest and shoulder growing like a cancer every second.

"I'll get you your pain medication. Why don't you go lay down?" Norma had said.

Alex nodded and, instead of going to their room, watched her get his pills and a glass of water. She had been perfection today at the funeral. An odd thing to think about, true, but Norma had managed to look classy and elegant for the line of mourners that wanted to meet him today. She had greeted everyone with kind words and shook their hands. Her smile wasn't too big and she had handled herself as if she'd done this a thousand times before.  
"Alex, you need to lie down." she told him.

"Okay." he agreed.

"You're exhausted."

"I am."

She placed her hand on the small of his back and guided him to bed.

"Sybil is taking the boys for a few hours while you rest." she told him. She gave him his pain medication and then helped him to undress for bed. Norma was much more gentle now than she was that morning. She undid his sling and carefully pulled off his black jacket and tie. She helped him unbutton his shirt and saw his dressing needed changing.

She made him lay down in bed and got the dressings she had bought in preparation for just such an event. She sat at his bedside and started to peel back the old bandage.

For the first time, Alex got a good look at the wound that almost killed him.  
"The bullet went through Tom and hit me?" he asked soberly while Norma gently cleaned the sensitive skin.

"That's what they said." she told him. "Deputy Washington told me it went right through you to. You were very lucky."

"It felt like someone punched me." he told her.

She didn't say anything. Her touch and technique was competent in redressing his bandage.

"You were amazing today." he admitted. "I don't think I could have done the funeral without you."

"You're welcome." she said softly.

Alex watched her tape the new bandage to his chest and helped him put a clean shirt on. She pulled the covers over him just like she'd done in the hospital when she insisted on taking care of him because she didn't trust the nurses to do it right.

"I spoke with Charlotte this morning." Norma said once she had thrown away all the trash and dirty dressing from his wound care.

"Oh yeah?" Alex asked.

"She wanted to be here, but she couldn't get away right now."

"What did you tell her?"

"The truth. That you were going to be okay, but that someone shot you in the chest and killed Sheriff Wilson." Norma said.  
"Norma."

"What? Did you want me to lie to her? She's FBI, I don't think you should lie to an FBI agent." she told him.

"I don't want Charlotte to worry about me. I'm fine."

"Well, she is worried about you." Norma told him. "She's going to visit us before thanksgiving. Her and her wife."

"How is Genesis?"

Norma let out a long sigh.  
"Charlotte told me that they have decided to stop treatment. So she's actually feeling better, but it's not going to be too much longer now." she explained.

Alex nodded.

"Alex, why were you in the parking lot of that bar?" Norma asked. "You told me you were going to work. That you were called in on your day off."

Alex felt his chest hurt. The wound seeming to dig even deeper.

"I… I can't really answer that." he said. How could he even begin to explain about Juliet's shoes and Wilson making him take that test? Norma wouldn't understand. How he and Wilson had fought just before his friend was killed.

"I was told you'd been there for hours. At the bar." she said. Her voice sad, but still accusing.

"I don't want to talk about it." Alex said curtly. "Norma, I'm sorry, but it's been a stressful day for me. Can I please just go to sleep?"

Norma was glaring at him with her cold blue eyes. Her face was like it was carved from stone because she didn't even blink. Her perfect features looking even more regal as she judged him. Alex was reminded of that accusing face his mother had given him after he was shot and lost in dreams.

"Okay." she said at last. She stood up from the edge of their bed and left him alone to rest.

 **Sorry for the late post. Today has felt like a thousand years in hell. Anger is the only thing keeping me going right now. Angry bitches get shit done.**


	63. Chapter 63

63.

~ Alex woke up, what felt like hours later to Norma undressing and getting into bed next to him. It was dark outside and he felt like he had been sleeping too long. His whole body was sore and stiff.

"Norma?" he asked weakly.  
"I've got you more pain pills. They're on the nightstand." she told him. She kept her back to him as she slipped out of her black dress and into a granny style night gown. Only Norma could make an old lady night dress look beautiful.

Alex groaned in pain as he tried to sit up in bed and take his pain medication. She had thoughtfully placed a glass of water on his bedside table next to small plate that held two yellow pills.

"Thank you." he nodded to her when she crawled into bed next to him.

"The boys are home." she said simply. "Dylan is really worried about you. I know you told people you'd be in tomorrow, but would you do me a favor and just stay home? It's a Sunday and I'd like it if the boys can see and talk to you more. You have no idea how hard this was on them."

He sensed the irritation in her voice. Felt that she had suffered more from him being shot than he had. It must have been difficult to tell people about the shooting. Especially children who wouldn't really understand.

"Alright." Alex agreed. He was in too much pain right now anyway to even think about going into work. Norma pulled the blankets up to her chest as they laid side by side in the same bed but avoided touching each other. She was as far as she could be on her side and didn't look at him.

"I'm sorry." he admitted.

"For what?"

"For… getting shot."

"Why don't you want to tell me about the bar? Why did you lie to me?

"I didn't lie." he said quickly. His voice harder than he meant it to be. "I was called into work, but it wasn't what I thought it was. Tom and I had a fight. I went to the bar to cool off. Tom came and got me and we were talking in the parking lot. Then… then he was dead and I was bleeding. I don't know what happened."

"Why would anyone want to kill Sheriff Wilson?" Norma asked. Her voice trembling.

"I don't know. We're going to find out." he said.  
"Alex, are you in danger?" she asked. "I can't get it out of my head that someone wants to kill you and… and I'm so scared. Now, you're the Sheriff and I'm worried someone is going to come after you."

She sniffed and Alex caught her putting the back of her hand to her nose like she always did when she cried.  
He tried to think of some way to comfort her, but words failed him. Besides, he already had a good idea who had done this, and he was making plans to deal with it.

"No, one is coming after me." he told her. She still looked upset. Her delicate face was streaked with tears that she was shedding silently.

"Norma, I… I have a dangerous job sometimes." he admitted.

"No, it's more than that, Alex." She hissed. "I've never felt this afraid for you."

"I'm going to be fine." he told her. "I promise."

~ "The kids at school said gang members shot you." Dylan said.

"Gang members?" Alex asked.

They were on the deck in Norma's backyard. The cold air of autumn had rushed in and everything felt clean and fresh. The cold pricked Alex's senses and he was able to shake off the drugged feeling that he had voluntarily allowed himself to be in since coming home.

"That's what everyone in school said." Dylan told him.  
"Well, everyone in school is wrong." Alex said.

"Do you know who shot you?" Dylan asked.

"Yes." Alex said. "A coward."

Dylan looked confused.  
"Only a coward shoots a man in the back and drives away." Alex explained.

"Are you gonna catch him?" Dylan asked. "They guy that shot you?"

"Yes, I am."

"How?"

"They left evidence." Alex said. "Criminals are dumb and they always leave evidence."

"Oh."

Alex watched Norman playing by himself with toy cars a few feet away. Dylan only half interested in the model truck and Romero were trying to build together. Norma had gotten it for him as a way of staying occupied while he recovered.

"Mom was really upset you got hurt." Dylan confessed.  
"I know, Buddy." Alex told him sadly.

"She cried a lot. She went in the bathroom and ran water in the tub because she thinks we can't hear her crying when she does that."

Alex sucked in his breath.

"She doesn't want you to see her sad." he explained to the child. "She didn't want you to worry about me."

"She was really upset."

"We're you upset?" he asked. "That I was hurt?"

The little boy shrugged.

"I kept thinking about what it would be like if I never saw you again." Dylan admitted. "If I never got to talk to you again. I'm never going to see Sheriff Wilson again. That makes me sad. He was a good guy."

"Yes, he was." Alex agreed.

"It feels weird that we won't be around. It feels different from when Sam died."

Alex glanced at Norman. The younger child still playing alone and indifferent to them.

"I think I'll miss him more because I like Sheriff Wilson and I didn't like Sam." Dylan concluded logically.  
"Death is profound. It's hard to understand."

"The kids at school said your mom is dead."

"She is dead." Alex said soberly. He refused to be upset about his mother's death when Dylan innocently asked.

"Were you a little kid when she died?"

"No, I was a grown man." he said. Their conversation honest and direct as always.  
"Was she sick?"

"Yes, but it was a different kind of sickness."

"We're you sad?"

"I was more angry than sad." Alex told the little boy.

"I would be sad if my mom died."

"Your mom isn't going to die until you're a very old man, Dylan." Alex assured him. "You know how stubborn she is. She'll be even older than Sybil before she dies."

"What if she get's shot? Like you did? What if someone kills her?"

"No one is going to kill your mom." Alex said in a stern voice.  
"How do you know?"

"Because I'm the Sheriff. I know these things." he said simply.

"Oh." Dylan nodded. "I don't think I'd be too sad if my real dad got shot and died."

"That's not a nice thing to say, Dylan." Alex told him.  
"I know."

"Why would you say something like that?"

"My real dad always made mom cry." Dylan explained easily. "He called her bad names."

"Did your real dad ever hit your mom?" Alex asked.  
"No." Dylan said. "But she never liked seeing him. He used to take me places, but then he stopped coming around. I don't really remember what he looks like anymore. Mom said he has a new family. That I have a half sister and brother, but he's never let me see them."

The child didn't seem to mind the fact his natural father had abandoned him in favor of starting over with a new family. Casually throwing Dylan away as if he was just a practice child and held no merit at all.

"Are you and mom getting married?" Dylan asked.  
"Why? Did your mom say something?" Alex asked. The pregnancy scare was still in his mind most days.

"No, but kids at school ask me if you're going to be my new dad. I asked mom and she said you wouldn't be my real dad. You'd only be my step dad." Dylan explained.  
"Do you want me to be your dad?" Alex asked.  
"Yes." Dylan said. "I don't like it when it's just mom. She doesn't know how to do men stuff because she's a girl."

"Well, I should hope she's a girl." Alex smiled. His face felt odd at being able to show happiness for the first time since the shooting.

"I'm glad your Sheriff now." Dylan said honestly.

"Why?"

"Because, when you marry mom and you're my dad, everyone will know I'm the Sheriff's kid. No one will bully me at school."

"Well, I was bullied **because** I was the Sheriff's son." Alex admitted. "Kids will always find something to pick on you for."

"Was your dad a good Sheriff?"

"Not as good as Sheriff Wilson was."

Dylan nodded. The little boy understanding how it felt to not like your own father.

"Um, so your mom and I were talking the other night." Alex said awkwardly. He waved to his arm in the sling. "Before all this happened. She- well, **I** was wondering if you had any questions about… well, boys and girls."

"You mean for the bathroom at school?" Dylan asked.

Alex always felt better when he smiled. Dylan cheered him up with such innocence. He decided to be more direct. Battles were never won by the faint of heart.

"No, son. What I wanted to know is if you had any questions about sex. About where babies come from." he said at last.

Dylan looked confused and Alex felt he had to clarify.

"I was concerned because, we can tell you liked that little girl Emma." Alex said. "It's okay for boys to like girls. I liked girls when I was your age."

Dylan gave him an odd expression.

"Well, Dylan sex and babies are something only adults do. It's very special and sacred." Alex explained. "When they love each other, when they're best friends and look after each other."

Alex felt like he wasn't explaining things correctly. Dylan wasn't understanding.

"See, sex is when a man… and a woman…"

"But mating is only special for humans and some animals." Dylan interrupted. "I think, like wolves mate for life, and some birds and I think Dolphins do to."

Alex leaned back in his chair. It was his turn to look confused.

"Other type of birds are cuckolded. The female will have a mate, but then the female will have chicks by another male she feels will produce better offspring. Frogs and some fish can change genders if there isn't a female so they can reproduce." Dylan explained.

Romero was impressed.

"How do you know all this?" he asked suspiciously.

"Biology class." Dylan said easily. "We're learning about reproduction for different animals and bugs. The female praying mantis will bit the head off her mate after he's fertilized her eggs."

"Oh… okay." Alex said in surprise. "So… so you know about how the male fertilizes the… the female?"

"Yes. That's how it works." Dylan nodded. "Animals have instinct to mate, only humans can decide not to mate and procreate."

"That… is absolutely correct." Romero said happily. "So, what do you know about humans mating?"

"Humans have to be in a bed to mate and have babies." Dylan said. "Under the covers, like on TV."

Alex almost laughed, but was happy he didn't.

"Okay, son." he said at last. "I keep forgetting how smart you are. You are much smarter than I was at your age."

"I am?" Dylan asked happily.

"I didn't know anything when I was your age." Romero told him. "It's why I wanted to make sure… if you had and questions, about girls, you knew to come to me."

"Girls don't like me." Dylan said.  
"They will." Alex said reassuringly.

"Some girls are mean to me."

"Son, that won't change. There will always be girls who are mean to you." Alex told him honestly. "When you get married, make sure it's to someone who makes you happy."

"I'm not getting married."

"Sure you will." Alex grinned. "When your mom is really, really old, she'll need to come and live with you and your wife Emma."

"No!" Dylan exclaimed. The little boy looked horrified.

Alex sat up a little straiter in his chair and decided it was time to work on the model.

"We better start on this thing before your mother catches us slacking off." he told Dylan.

"Yeah." the child sighed heavily. As if it were a tedious chore they had to do to please the women in their lives.

~ Norma finally got around to doing laundry for Alex that afternoon. She had peered out the back door and saw her two sons were dressed warmly and that Alex was working on the truck model she bought him. Hopefully it would result in a nice hobby for him. Alex needed a hobby that would keep him occupied while he recovered at home.

She pulled out the white, plastic bag the hospital gave her that contained all of Alex's clothes from the night of the shooting. She knew exactly what she would find, and wasn't looking forward to it. Which is why the bag had sat so long in her closet without even being looked at. His shoes looked fine. She didn't see any blood, but she would clean them off with a damp towel anyway. She pulled out his socks and jeans. His wallet, keys and wrist watch had been stowed in a separate bag and she was glad they hadn't been lost. Finally she found what she was looking for, his flannel shirt and the black t-shirt he had been wearing under it when he'd been shot.

Norma held it up to the light. The blood had already turned brown and was barely noticeable with the dark fabric. The paramedics must have cut them off his body. The two shirts slashed open in a macabre way. Norma saw the bullet hole in the flannel and quickly looked away. She folded his two shirts up neatly, wrapped them in newspaper and pushed them to the bottom of her kitchen trash can. She didn't want to see them ever again. Out of sight, out of mind.

All that was left in the plastic bag was his jacket he was so fond of wearing. She pulled it free and saw the bullet hole with blood on it from where it no doubt hit Wilson first, then entered Alex. Norma shuttered when she ran her hand over the obvious damage to Alex's coat. She folded it up for the trash as well. She knew it was his favorite, but it was going to have to go. She didn't want to look at it again, knowing what had happened. Once it was in the trash and gone from their lives forever, then she wouldn't have to think about it again.

She folded it neatly and smoothed it down. Remembering how the first time she had ever seen him was in this coat. How the rain had pelted down on him and he didn't seem to care. She put a hand over the obvious bullet hole and was able to see his jacket the way it once was.

She felt something hard where there shouldn't be. Curiously, she pulled the jacket out of it's fold and pressed the front of it until she felt the oddity again. His jacket must have had a breast pocket because there was something in there. Norma suspected it was his deputy's badge or an extra set of house keys maybe. She pulled out a worn, red velvet box from his breast pocket and stared at it dumbly.

Why would Alex have an old jewelry box? The gold writing on the top was worn down, but she was able to make out the logo of the small jewelry shop in town. A place that bragged about being family owned and operated in White Pine Bay for fifty years.

Norma opened the red box and felt her jaw drop in shock. Inside was a stunningly beautiful ring. It's large diamond was a round cut, flanked by smaller diamonds. The ring was a classic vintage style, and in need of professional cleaning, but it was obviously a family heirloom and clearly an engagement ring.

Norma quickly looked out the laundry room and saw Alex and Dylan were still out on the deck. Why did Alex have this? Was he planning to ask her to marry him? He had this on him when he'd been shot. Maybe he still thought she could be pregnant and was planning to propose because he thought it was the right thing.

Norma's heart was beating wildly as she ducked back into the safety of her laundry room and looked at the beautiful ring again. She didn't even want to take it out of it's box, it was so pretty. She wanted to pull it out and try it on, but she snapped the box shut and stuffed it back in Alex's breast pocket. That ring wasn't hers. Alex hadn't asked her to marry him because she had told him she wasn't pregnant. Norma wrung her hands with thoughts of him asking her to marry him because of an unwanted baby.

How horrible it would be to have trapped him like that. Still, her hands longed to have that ring adorn them.

 **Please send more requests for what you'd like to see. It make take a while because I'm actually several chapters ahead. I love reading your feedback. Stay with me here, guys.**


	64. Chapter 64

64.

~ The next day, Alex felt well enough to go into work. He told Norma he didn't plan to do much, there were just things he needed to see about.  
"I'll drive you." Norma told him.  
"No, I want to drive myself." he said hurriedly. "Where's my coat?"

"The one you always wear?" she asked innocently. Her eyes wide like a deer caught in a pair of headlights.  
"Yeah, my coat. Where is it?"

"It's in the laundry room. I had to throw away the shirts you were wearing. All that blood." she told him and pretended to fluff a couch pillow.

"You didn't throw away my coat did you?" Alex asked. He felt his blood run as cols as ice water. He suddenly remembered his mother's ring was stashed in that coat. If she had thrown in out, it might be lost forever.  
"No, I hung it up. I was going to ask if you still wanted it." she told him. Alex maneuvered around her and tried not to bolt for the laundry room.  
"Alex, it has a hole in it from where you were shot. I think we should get a new one." she called after him, but oddly enough, she stayed in the living room.

Alex saw his favorite coat hanging from a drying rack and quickly dove a hand into the front pocket. He felt the worn velvet of the ring box and pulled it out. A quick peek assured him the diamond was still there.

"Yeah." he called back to her. "I see what you mean. We should get a new one."

He came back out of the laundry room, the ring box hidden behind his back.

"I think I have an extra coat at the station." he said.  
"You're keys and wallet are on the night stand." she nodded to their bedroom. She seemed unwilling to leave the living room. Her feet rooted to one spot.  
"Perfect." he smiled nervously, and backed up into their room where she couldn't see what he was doing.

He pocketed the ring box, his wallet and grabbed his keys and watch.

"Norma, I'll be home soon. I have some paper work to do." he told her when he quickly left the house. He'd given her a kiss on the cheek before fleeing.

~ People gave Alex Romero curious glances when he walked past them at the Sheriff's station.  
"You're supposed to be on mandatory sick leave." Clarice told him when he stalked past her to Wilson's office.

"Yeah? Maybe you should call someone about that." he said to her without slowing down.

Alex let himself into the Sheriff's office. **His** office now that Wilson was gone forever. Tom's name was still on the door, and so were all the personal touches the former Sheriff had placed on the walls and tables. Pictures of his family, awards he had won. The fishing boat he's bought at a police auction after Alex dared him to.

It had been the boat of a low level dealer in another county. When he was arrested and his assets seized, Wilson had bought the brand new fishing boat for next to nothing. It was named, **In the Jailhouse Now** , because they had all joked that's where the original owner was.

It felt sacrilegious to be in Tom's office without him there. Alex kept the lights off and remained quite and still out of respect to the older man. A part of him wished the door would burst open and Sheriff Wilson would be growling at him to get back to work and what was he doing in his office anyway?

Alex shook off the feeling of trespassing in what was now his office and went to the big desk by the window. The drawers of the desk were locked fast but he knew Wilson hid a key under the tacky figurine of a dog on his desk. It was still taped there when Alex turned it over. The spare key to the desk drawer.

Alex opened it and saw Juliet's white Keds with the graffiti were still in the clear evidence bag. He pulled them out, along with the letter and newspaper clipping. Alex looked for the yellow tags that showed these items had been catalogued and placed into official evidence for Juliet's disappearance and didn't find one.

There was also no date or any other number on the bags. Alex turned them over and looked again. Wilson didn't file the shoes or the note into evidence. He'd broken the chain and they would be useless if it came to a proper investigation. Alex took Wilson's old coat down from the back of the office door and wrapped the shoes in it. Then he went to work looking up all the recent cases his predecessor had been involved in.

The file cabinet in the desk drawer with the active cases was locked, but Alex only had to use the same key to open it. He quickly found his lie detector test results and the autopsy report on Gemma Harper.

Sheriff Romero looked over the neat little handwriting Declan Rodgers had scribed next to each question. Alex hadn't fooled the machine or his father's former partner. Wilson knew his first Deputy had lied about Juliet. Romero felt a pain of regret at knowing Wilson hadn't trusted him, and with good reason. That Tom had died without knowing the truth.

Alex tried to shake the idea off and looked at Gemma Harper's autopsy report. Now that he was Sheriff, now that Caleb was awaiting trail for murder, he was free to look over the case again.

He was about halfway into the standard report when something caught his eye. An oddity about Gemma's body that didn't fit with the story Wilson had sold to the DA when they arrested Caleb Calhoun. A tube of lipstick, expensive and not something Caleb would have had on him, was found in the girl's stomach. Alex looked over the photo and saw it looked like the same brand he'd seen Blair Watson put on that day he took Dylan to school. Wilson had hidden evidence that would exonerate Caleb and put Gemma's real murder away.

Romero tucked the file and his test results into Wilson's jacket. Once again, there was no chain of evidence markers on anything. All of it was off the books and wouldn't be missed. He was about to shut the file cabinet again when a name jumped out at him. **Sarah Makeska** was typed on a file label that was faded and peeling.

Alex pulled out the worn folder that must have been there when the Old Bear was still Sheriff. Curiously, he opened it. The name rang a faint bell, but he couldn't place where he had heard it before. It felt like a long time ago. When he opened the folder it came flooding back to him. Sarah Makeska's dark hair and even darker eye liner. She had been a fan of Joan Jett based on her fashion style. Alex looked over the date of the missing person report and saw it was spring of 1988. Sarah Makeska was only seventeen when her foster parents reported her missing and presumed a runaway. That she was last seen at a bus station in White Pine Bay.

Alex was breathing hard while he read. Sarah Makeska was never heard from again. At least not by anyone who knew her before 1988. Alex saw the new fax copy of a Denver driver's license; Wilson had known the truth all along.

He took the photo copy and folded it into his pocket. He shut and locked up all the cabinet drawers and carefully folded Wilson's coat over his arm before leaving the office with Juliet's shoes and other evidence that would come back to haunt him.

"I'll call Tom's wife and tell her she can pick up his things tomorrow." Alex said to Clarice on his way out. "I'll be back in to help her. It's important we make a quick transition."  
"Alright, Sheriff." the receptionist said. Her expression saddened at the mention of her former boss. Clarice had liked Wilson and, even though she'd always been too nervous at times to be a good receptionist at a Sheriff's station, Wilson had always liked her. Alex never believed it was a romantic relationship, more like father and daughter. He knew Clarice was painfully alone in the world and now she must feel even more alone.

"Would you mind taking his plants home?" Romero asked the painfully shy receptionist. "I'm sure Tom would want you to take care of them. I know you gave them to him for his birthday each year."

Clarice nodded.

"Okay, sure." she said. Her smile evident she was glad to have something to remind her of Sheriff Wilson.

Alex wasn't questioned at all on leaving the station with the Sheriff's coat under his arm. It was a leather jacket, made for Wilson's slightly larger frame, but it would fit.

Alex laid the coat in the passenger side of his SUV and drove out of town towards his family farm. Once there, where no one would see him, he started a fire in the old cook out pit behind the house. He burned the lie detector test results first. Next were Juliet's shoes and news paper clipping. He winced at putting them in the fire. Seeing his own handwriting burned black as the canvas was eaten alive by flames. He pulled out her letter, but couldn't bear to burn it as well. She had poured out her feeling for him, raw and painful on this paper. Her hands had touched it. Written it for only him to see. He refolded it and stashed it in his pocket. He would hide it in the house. If it was ever found, well she'd written him hundreds of notes when they were together. So what?

Romero pulled out the photo copy that was in Sara Makeska's file. It had been a stupid mistake. A stupid mistake and this was the result.

A sharp, bitter cold blew at him and he stomped the flames out when he was satisfied they'd burned the shoes down to nothing. He slipped on Wilson's coat over his bad arm and treaded his good arm through the heavy sleeve. It felt comforting to wear the former Sheriff's heavy leather jacket. Alex could feel Wilson was there with him. Sense the older man's wise presence was right there. Understanding when Romero did what he felt he had to now. For the first time, he allowed himself to grieve for his friend.

~ Norma was glad to see Alex pull up to the house. Glad to see his black and white SUV park next to her Mercedes like they belonged together. She'd been worried all day about him. He had seemed so distracted. That was to be expected of course. He'd just lost his best friend and had survived a gun shot to the chest. She stood by the kitchen sink and watched him let himself in by the back door as usual.

"Hi." she said kindly to him when he finally saw her. He was wearing a leather jacket that was slightly too big for him.  
"Where did you get that?" she asked and nodded to his coat.

"It was Tom's." Alex said. "I don't think Donna will mind if I keep it."

"No, I don't think she will." Norma said with a faint smile. "She called me while you were at work. She wants you to have Tom's boat and some of his clothes. She doesn't know what to do with them. She said anything you wanted of his you could have. That he thought of you like a son."

Alex practically collapsed into the kitchen chair. He looked exhausted.

"I'll pick it up in a few days." he said. "Move it and arrange to get the title transferred."

"I think Donna will be happy to see the last of that boat." Norma mused. "She mentioned how ugly it looked parked next to her garage."

Alex gave her a faint smile.

"I'll keep it at the farm. You won't have to see it." he offered.

"I'd appreciate that." Norma said. "Not that I didn't enjoy being on the bay with you, Sheriff."

"Everyone's calling me Sheriff." he said darkly. "It takes some getting used to."

"What would you like for dinner, Sheriff?" she asked him. She wanted to be nice to him. Wanted to make him feel loved. She knew he wasn't in the mood for her teasing or one of there silly fights.

"I'm not hungry." he said.

"Yes, you are." she scolded gently.

Alex gave her that ghost of a smile again, but his face was still troubled.

"The boys are down the street playing at a neighbors house. They just got a new puppy and I know Norman is going to want one now." Norma said conversationally.

Alex remained quite.

"They'll be home before the street lights come one." she added.

Alex said nothing and looked intently at the pattern on her kitchen table.

"By the way, I went to the doctor today. She did the blood work and we're good." Norma offered with a shaky voice.

"We're good?" Alex asked uncertain what she meant.

"No baby." Norma clarified. "She went ahead and started me on birth control. Said it's very effective and I can go off it easily if I want to."

Alex blinked and nodded slowly.

"That's good." he said. "To know for sure."

"I also decided to start taking antidepressants." Norma sighed.

Alex's eyes flickered back to her and he remained silent.

"It's not that I'm sad, really." she insisted quickly. "It's not your fault or anyone else fault. It's just sometimes I…"

"No, I understand." Alex told her so she wouldn't have to explain. "I'm glad you did that. I want you to be okay."

"It's nothing you've done, Alex." she said.

"But it didn't help things when I got shot." he told her sadly.

Norma was ashamed of the tears that filled her eyes. When she blinked, they fell heavily down her face.

"It's not your fault." she told him again. She tried to put on her fake smile, but it didn't work. "I feel terrible that I have to take them at all. I mean, what if the boys find out?"

"You'll tell them that you need them." Alex said.

Norma nodded. She didn't miss the fact that he'd said ' **You'll** tell them' instead of ' **We'll** tell them'. A small thing, but one that set off a warning inside her head.

"Alex?" she asked gently. "Are you going to be okay?"

She watched him sit there for a few moments. His face very sad. Finally, he stood up and refused to look at her.  
"Norma, I think we should stop seeing each other." he said at last.

 **Don't be mad. Don't be mad. This is all apart of my plan. Everyone just stay calm. We knew this would happen.**

 **I've gotten a LOT of requests for Norma's parents to come back and they will very soon. Caleb will also be back in Norma's life. So will Charlotte.**

 **I'm anywhere between five to ten chapters ahead, at any given time, so if you've made a request, you might not see it for some time. I'm going to do a health scare which will prove interesting for Normero. But the most interesting is when Norma's parents return to her life.**


	65. Chapter 65

65.

~ Norma felt her breath leave her body. It was like she had been punched in the gut. She literally felt pain radiate through her.  
"What?" she managed to ask.  
"I just think it's not going well." Alex said and she could tell he was trying to act indifferent. His stance was wrong and he wouldn't meet her eyes.  
"Because you got shot?" she asked. She was feeling confused. Everything had been fine until he'd been hurt. Even with the scare, they had been fine. Hadn't they?

"No, it's because I don't think we make a good couple." he said with a shrug. "I mean, we don't exactly get along."

"What are talking about?" Norma snapped. It was like he was speaking another language.

"We fight all the time." he shrugged.  
"Alex, what's going on?"

"Nothing. I just think we need to call whatever this is off."

"Whatever this is?" Norma accused sharply. Her shoulder's slumped and she felt ready to claw at him like a tiger. A rage building quickly inside her that he would dishonor what they had in such a way.

"Yeah. I don't think it's going to work."

"Alex, what the hell? Why are you saying this? What's wrong?"

"I… I thought about it." he said with a pronounced stutter. "I think… that it's better if we break up."

"Because we had the pregnancy scare?" she whispered. Her heart beating fast that this might be real.  
"Yes." he said quickly. "It's too much."  
"It didn't happen though."

"It could have, and I'm not ready."  
"Why are you doing this? Why are you lying to me?"

"I'm not."

"Yes, you are. You're lying to me. You won't even look at me." she accused sharply.

He tried to meet her eyes, but couldn't.

"Alex!" she said harshly.  
"Okay, I didn't want to tell you this." he said and let out a long sigh. Norma took in his posture and his face and knew he was preparing to lie to her again. "The other night, before I was shot, when I told you I was at the gym, I wasn't. I was with someone else. I was with another woman."

"No, you weren't." Norma balked. The idea was almost laughable.

"Yes, I was." he said harshly. "I was meeting her at the bar the night I was shot. That's why I was there. I've been seeing another woman behind your back."

"Alex, why are you lying to me?" she snapped. "Stop lying to me!"

"The truth is I don't love you anymore!" he suddenly shouted and she leaned back. His anger was directed solely at her and she had never experienced such a force before. She felt afraid of it. A fear flooding her body that reminded her of when Sam used to hit her.

She covered her mouth with both hands and blinked back tears. Alex wouldn't hurt her, would he? Alex couldn't stop loving her, could he?"

"I'm… I'm done… playing house." he said in a shaky voice. His eyes very sad and still not looking at her. "I'm done with your kids and their… misplaced need for a dad."

Norma wanted to scream at him, but she kept both her hands over her mouth. She stared back at him and remained silent.  
"I don't want… to be their dad. Or anyone's dad." he said. His tone faltering and she could tell he was saying these horrible things just to make her hate him. Not because they were true.  
"I don't need… this shit. All of your issues." he finished. His chest heaving like he'd run a mile. "I'm glad you're not pregnant. I'm glad you didn't try to trap me."

Norma's vision blurred again and she felt a knife burrow deep in her heart. Tears fell freely out of her eyes and she kept her palms over her mouth. She didn't trust herself to speak. She was dying. Her body was bleeding out from the knife he'd plunged into her heart.

Alex stood in front of her. His face looking as if he'd just seen a horrible accident on the road. He still refused to look at her.

Finally, she let her hands drop from her mouth.

"I think you should leave." she whispered. "Please, don't come back."

Alex nodded and slowly backed away. He kept his face away from her. Not wanting her to see his true expression.  
"Um… the uh… the car is in your name. So don't worry about that." he said as he gently pulled on his coat; his back to her. "It needs the inspection sticker before the new year. I'd take it to Grayson auto. He's always done the inspection for it."

Norma bit her lip. Was he really trying to be kind her after what he'd said?

"Make sure he checks the fluid levels. These old cars are tricky when the seasons change." Alex added.  
"Your medication." Norma said quickly. Her face flushing hot with rage. "You need your medication."

She quickly went on tip toe to reach the highest shelf of her kitchen and pulled down Alex's antibiotic and his pain pills. She didn't want him to suffer.

No matter what.

She made the distance to him in three easy strides and he took the bottles without looking back at her.  
"Thanks." he said.  
"Your wound care appointment is this Thursday with Doctor White." she said with a shaky breath. "You'll need to buy some new bandages and keep it clean."

"Okay." he nodded.

Then, the silence between them spun out. It hung heavily in the kitchen like it actually had weight all it's own. Norma kept waiting for him to say something. To apologize and tell her the truth. She waited… and waited… and finally he unclipped the house key she'd given him and placed it on the kitchen table. She watched, his back to her, as he unlocked the back door, opened it, told her to lock it again after him, and was gone.

She stood by her sink. Her nails digging in deep into the counter. Her breathing coming hard when she heard his SUV start up and saw the headlights come on. She felt faint at the idea he might really be gone. Her chest was hurting. A pain, so horrible, was growing inside her. It was like it was made to do nothing but feed off her.

Norma let go of the counter and almost fell. She managed to catch herself by clinging to the kitchen chair and sitting down.

She couldn't breathe.

She couldn't breathe.

Her body was filling up with a blackness that was killing her.

She laid her head down on the table and tried to make the room stop spinning. A sob, from somewhere deep inside, found it's way out of her mouth.

All around her, hundreds of black birds were singing a happy song.

~ By the time, Dylan and Norman had come back home from visiting the neighbors new puppy, Norma had taken a shower and felt only slightly better. She had scrubbed her face till it was sore and enjoyed the sensation of her skin feeling raw and stripped away.

She was dressed for bed and had decided to go to sleep early tonight. She'd made the boys cold sandwiches if they were hungry and put them in the fridge.

Dylan had burst into her room, excited about the puppy and Norman was smiling to. They climbed into bed with her ready to negotiate for their own dog.  
"Mom, if we both promise to take care of it, can we get a puppy?" her oldest ask.  
"A puppy." Norman added hopefully.  
"We both promise we'll take care of it." Dylan added.

Norma smiled faintly at her sons.

"Boys, I want to talk to you." she said in a thin voice she didn't recognize. It was like her real voice had flown away and she wasn't sure when it would come back. She took a deep breath and let it out.

"Alex isn't going to be coming around here anymore." she told him. "Alex isn't coming back."

Dylan's face fell. His eyes getting bigger.  
"Why?" her oldest asked. His expression, so happy a few moments ago, looked ready to cry at any second.

"Alex and I decided not to see each other anymore." Norma told them both carefully. "It's not because of anything either one of you did. It's a grown up thing."

"He's leaving?" Dylan asked. "When?"

Norma smoothed out her son's hair.  
"He's already left, sweetheart." she whispered.

"No." Dylan moaned sadly. "Why? Why did he leave? I thought he liked us."

"It's not your fault." Norma said quickly. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Then what was it?" Dylan asked.

Norma shook her head.  
"I don't know." she told him.

"Yay!" Norman said happily. The youngest not understanding what was happening.

"So he's not coming back? Ever?" Dylan asked.

"He's not coming back." Norma told him.  
"Can't you talk to him?"

"I talked to him." she admitted. "But it's best we not talk again. I'm so sorry, honey."

Norma blinked back tears and watched her son grieve over a loss she knew must hurt him.

"Mother, no cry." Norman was saying sweetly. Her younger curling into her lap while her oldest glared at her mutinously.

"Dylan, we're going to be fine. We have each other." she told him.  
Dylan shook his head, jumped off her bed and ran to his room. Norma jumped when she heard the door slam shut.

Norman was still in her arms, still demanding affection from her. She found it was easy to give.  
"Come on, honey." she whispered to her youngest. "You can sleep with me tonight."

~ Alex couldn't go home. He couldn't go to the farm or to work. He felt sick to his stomach at what he'd done to Norma.

' _My beautiful Sunshine_.' he thought to himself as he drove recklessly to Bob Paris' house. He couldn't stop seeing her with her hands over her mouth. Her eyes looked like she was in a trance. Tears making them shine a violent shade of blue. He knew he was hurting her beyond repair. He wasn't just breaking up with her, he was breaking her heart. He was making her hate him.

It would be better if she hated him.

If she hated him, if Norma Bates hated Alex Romero, then no one could hurt her to get to him. It was the only way that she and her sons could be safe. If Alex Romero was taken out of the equation, Bob Paris wouldn't have any power over them. It hurt him to let her go, but it would have hurt more if she was pregnant. If she were pregnant he would have little choice but to abandon White Pine Bay forever and take his family across the country. Keep them far away from anyone who would hurt them.

So it was a tragic blessing that she wasn't with child. That Alex had nothing that could be taken away now. Romero pulled into the driveway of Bob Paris' ugly lake house, walked up the minimalist walk to the front entrance, took his revolver out and fired three shots into the tempered glass door.

The glass shattered and a security alarm sounded at the violent invasion. Alex didn't care, he knew this security alarm was to a private firm that only called the police for you if you didn't answer the phone. Romero stalked past the cold decor of Bob's house and let himself into a large bedroom where a telephone was already ringing.

He saw two figures in the kind size bed and a light turn on. Bob had been entertaining a female visitor that night.

"What was that?" a blond girl, not much younger than Norma asked worriedly.

"Be quite." Bob snapped at her. Alex was quick to reach the bed where the couple was and surprised Bob by pointing his side arm right in the bastard's face.

Bob stared back in shock at Romero. His large, bug like eyes almost cartoonish just now.

"Now, you're going to pick that phone up and give them the password." Alex said and nodded to the ringing phone. "If you give them the signal for distress, I'm going to put three bullets in you. Do it now."

Bob Paris' face flushed red and he answered the phone.  
"This is Bob Paris. Yes, I'm fine. Can you turn off the alarm? I can barely hear myself think. Yes, it's.. Sex Krazed. With a K and a Z yes." he said with his politician smile.

Romero glanced at the girl who looked like a professional call girl. She was pretty and sweet looking. The kind of girl who's innocence Bob would like to ruin.

"Everything's fine. Thank you." Bob said into the phone. Romero nodded for Paris to hang up the receiver.

"Tell your friend it's time to leave." Romero said cooly.

"Honey, why don't you go back to Portland?" Paris said easily. "I'll call you later. I need to talk some business right now with an old friend."

The girl practically fell out of bed. Her slender, perfectly formed body naked but trying to redress and leave the bedroom at the same time.

"Money's on the dresser." Bob called out to her. Alex heard her help herself to the cash in Bob's hooker stash and leave.

When they heard the door close, Bob finally relaxed a little.

"Like you're really going to shoot me." he challenged.

Like a reflex, Romero fired his service revolver into the ceiling. Far enough away so the falling plaster wouldn't hit them, but close enough to scare the man who wasn't used to this kind of treatment.

"Okay!" Paris shouted after the loud bang reverberated through the bedroom. Romero had to admit her loved intimidating the man like this. It was beneficial to him that Bob's lake house was miles from town and no one heard the shots except the escaping call girl. She wouldn't tell anyone now that she had her money.

"What do you want?" Bob spat. His eyes even more bug like than before.

"You had one of your guys shoot Tom Wilson." Alex said darkly.

"What?" Bob said with his cheesy politician grin.

Alex fired another round into the ceiling. Bob looked terrified because this shot was much closer to his head.

"Okay, Look!" Paris shouted. "Just stop it, Alex!" He was breathing hard from being tormented by the mad man in front of him.

"I told you I can be a real nice guy until I decide to break you, Bob. Now you're gonna find out I'm a man of my word." Romero said casually.

"Alex… you kill me and everything will come out. Juliet… what really happened. I've planned for this. You're in a cushy position now. You can make a lot of money now that Tom Wilson is gone."

Romero fired another round off in the bedroom. This one went into the wall above the bed, running a large, ugly painting the no doubt cost a fortune.

"I did it to elevate you!" Bob shouted. "I needed a man who was willing to be on my team and Wilson wouldn't ever play ball. He kept the families from killing each other, but he left no room for expansion, Alex. He never saw the big picture."

"The big picture?" Romero questioned.

"Yes." Bob gasped desperately. "I needed you to become Sheriff so that we can expand. That is why Tom Wilson had to go and why I needed you in his place."

"So I can be your man on the inside." Romero nodded. He held his revolver to Bob Paris' face again and the coward winced.

"Kill me and you go to prison, Alex. I have enough evidence on you that you'll do thirty years." Bob insisted.

"You'll still be dead, Bob." Romero said sarcastically.

"Look, you weren't the target. Just Wilson." Bob whimpered. "You just got in the way."

"What happens if I stop seeing the big picture, Bob?" Romero said darkly. "Will I have to go?"

Paris looked terrified.

"Or maybe you'll attack the people close to me again. Maybe you're thinking it would be easier to go after Norma Bates and her sons?" Romero accused.

"I wouldn't do that." Bob tired to explain.

"The hell you wouldn't." Romero growled. "I should kill you now and then they'll be safe."

"They are safe, Alex I would never hurt them." Bob insisted. He looked close to crying.

Alex fired another shot into the wall that barely missed Bob's head.

It was with an extreme satisfaction that he saw a dark, wet spot growing on the sheet covering Bob Paris' lap. The grown man had pissed himself.

"Guess we're not the big dog here after all." Romero sighed. He leaned over to look Bob Paris in his ugly bug eyes.

"I'm on my own now, Bob. You want to send a message? You send it to me. Norma and her boys are not involved. If I even hear a whisper of you or your men near her, I will come back here and shoot your dick off."

Romero pushed the muzzle of his hand gun right into Bob's chest. All the shooting he had done today left the barrel extremely hot and Bob Paris winced and cried out at being branded.

Romero leaned away from him and judged how effective his intimidation tactics had been.

"Oh, and don't bother with the big picture anymore, Bob." he said casually. "I think I'll just burn it all down, maybe salt the earth."

He fired the last round of the evening into the phone on Bob Paris' night stand. No calling for back up from that phone.

He thought he heard Bob give off a girly scream, but that might have been too much to hope for.

"Have a good night, Bob." Romero said once the smoke had cleared and he saw his handy work looked very destructive.

As easily as he entered, Romero left the ugly lake house through the shattered front door. There was no sign of security, and he heard no police sirens in the distance.

He knew he'd just poked a hell of a big bear tonight, but he had no choice. He wouldn't become a dirty cop for the sake a ghost. He wouldn't sell out to Bob Paris. He wouldn't be his father, no matter what. He wouldn't become the thing he hated most. He could learn to live without the sunlight, his demands wouldn't have a tiger to be afraid of anymore.

He had loved her enough to break all his rules, and he still loved her enough to let her go.

 **I know this chapter was hard, but we all know Normero will win in the end. Please keep reading. I've gotten more feedback from this last chapter than any other before. I should break up Normero more often!**


	66. Chapter 66

66.

~ Norma felt her body recoil in pain. The absence of her lover had caused her to physically hurt. She wanted to go to sleep immediately after work everyday. Whenever she woke up, she was counting down the hours when she could go back to sleep again.

She had experienced this kind of darkness before. When she was still in high school and everyday was a nightmare, it was like a force took her, and ate her alive. She had trouble finding the motivation to wash her hair, to cook or to clean. She was always exhausted; it felt like her body was dying.

It wasn't what he had said to her that hurt. He was laying about not wanting to be with her. Not loving her, and not wanting to be in their lives. He had refused to meet her eyes and his voice faltered. The idea he would be seeing another woman was just as insane. She could tell the cheaters, she had been married to Sam after all. Alex didn't have it in him to be unfaithful. Not with the way he was always stealing glances at her and no one else. Not with how he wanted her in his world, despite it's darkness, and fit so comfortably into hers. She had never felt so close to anyone before. It was like they complimented each other perfectly. She'd never felt so content and happy before Alex.

She was willing to forgive all the awful things he had said to her, but it was the way he had yelled that was terrifying. Alex had never raised his voice to her. Never showed her that he could be as abusive as all the other men in her life.

Her cycle started as predicted. Conformation, as if she needed it, that she wasn't going to have a baby. She had expected to be relived, but a part of her felt a pain of sadness. It was a small part that loved the ideal version of a baby and family. She knew he'd wanted her to be.

Norma suspected, although she would never tell him, that he had forgotten protection on purpose. It made no sense for him to do something so foolish, but she harbored a deep suspicion nevertheless. Perhaps her relief at not being pregnant and her rejection of becoming pregnant, had hurt him. Wounded his male pride enough to never want to see her again.

All men were prideful at the notion of procreation. When Norma was so quick to dismiss his needs, maybe he realized they didn't have a future after all.

No. It was something more. He had become more somber and withdrawn since the shooting and Wilson dying, but that was to be expected. She was sure Alex had that ring in his coat to propose to her. Maybe because he thought she was pregnant, but maybe not. She would hate it if there was a baby on the way and he asked her to marry him. It would just prove what she'd always suspected abut herself. That she was trash.

Dylan and Norman suffered from Alex being gone as well. Her oldest was besieged by sudden fits of anger. His school work became neglected and Norma didn't have the energy to make sure he ate the cold dinner she left for him in the fridge, let alone ensure he'd done his homework. Norman appeared to notice Alex was gone to. He'd had a small seizure at day care and was prone to crying fits until Norma allowed him to sleep with her. Her youngest being good at co-sleeping in the same bed.

 _'_ _I can't go on like this._ ' she thought one day. ' _It's too much._ '

But she could barely get out of bed. All those black birds were weighing her down.

~ Alex, looked over Tom's clothing, but saw nothing. His mind was a million miles away.

"I just don't know what to do with most of them." Donna was saying cheerfully. "I kept some of his more sentimental things. Maybe you could use them? I always took good care of his clothes. You two are about the same size, although Tommy was taller and he's put on some weight in the past year or so."

"Yes." Alex said and swallowed hard. "I can take them. Don't worry."

"Good." Donna breathed. "I'd want you to have them. You two were always so close. You know he thought of you like a son, Alex."

"Did he?" Alex asked numbly. He was looking over Tom's perfectly pressed dress shirts. The light plaid pattern that would clash with any tie the late Sheriff wore.

"You know our son had some problems in life. Drugs and what not." Donna said. "We tried so hard to save him, but couldn't"

Alex knew all abut Tom and Donna's only son. A rarely spoken about phantom that haunted the family.

"I know." Alex said gently.  
I was wondering if you'd take care of his shaving things to?" Donna asked hopefully. "I'd hate to just throw them away, but I can't think of anyone who would use them."

"I'll take care of it, any anything else you need." Alex told her.  
He wasn't sure what he would do with Tom Wilson's shaving kit and trimmer, but he didn't want Donna to be upset. Better to just agree to take whatever she wanted him to have.

"Oh and he has some buckles and some tie tacks in his drawer here." Donna said brightly. "He never wore them since he moved down here. Back in Texas, they were practically apart of the uniform."

Alex grinned at seeing the wonderfully audacious tie clip with the matching turquoise belt buckle. Both of them too big and garish to fit in this far north. Alex even suspected Donna would iron and starch blue jeans for her husband to wear to work. The entire staff of the Sheriff's department didn't know what to make of the silver haired cowboy in their midst. However, Tom had learned to tone down his dress style to blend in with the typical police officers. Still, Alex never forgot the first few weeks with a real cowboy as Sheriff of White Pine Bay.  
"I remember this." he picked up the turquoise belt buckle. He read the silver finishing describing some kind of rodeo event from the 80's.

"It was police rodeo and Tom won roping." Donna told him happily. "They give you a buckle as a trophy."

"I have his jacket from work. Is that okay?" he asked sadly.

"Of course. Take anything you want from his office, Alex. You know that. You were there more than I ever was." she said.  
"Yeah." he said sadly.

"Just make sure you take that ugly red boat. I'm sick of looking at it." she told him.  
Alex nodded.

"I have the hitch ready. I'll be keeping it at the farm." he assured her.  
"Tom told me he wanted you to have it. He knew you'd always wanted a boat like that all your own." she said.

"You know you can make good money selling it." he told her.  
"And risk having my husband come back and haunt me?" Donna laughed. "Never. He wanted you to take it and you better use it. Make sure that little boy of yours learns to fish on it to. He'd be so happy to have his own boat."

Alex was sure Dylan would be thrilled to have " **In the Jailhouse Now** " as his own fishing paradise. A boat they could go out into the Pacific with if they wanted.

"I… I won't be taking Dylan out on it." he explained carefully.

"His mother isn't a fan of fishing? I can relate. It's not a real sport. I don't know why Tom kept saying it was."

"No." Alex laughed. It felt good to laugh. "No, his mother and I broke up."

"What? Oh, Alex, no." Donna gasped in horror.

"It's alright." he said.

"Oh, she's such a jewel, Alex. You need to work it out; just apologize to her. Don't let pride ruin everything. You know sometimes I just want to be mad at Tom. I don't even need a reason. I just look for something to be annoyed at him about. It's normal when two people live together. They get on each other's nerves. Take some time apart and you'll be better than ever." she advised happily.

"It's not that simple." Alex explained.  
"Why not?"

Alex clutched Tom's belt buckle in his hand. His grip so hard he felt the silver bite into his skin.

"Because the same people who shot me, who killed your husband, will hurt Norma and her sons." he explained. "Bad people. Tom warned me not to rock the boat. Not to upset the natural order. That it was a good way to get killed."

"Oh, Alex." Donna sighed. She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "There will always be bad people who lash out if you try to stop them. Tom knew that, and so did I. It's the hazards of marrying a Sheriff. Knowing that someone could come after your husband for doing the right thing. Knowing that the man you love could be in danger for having a moral code."

"See, that's why I can't be with Norma." Alex told her logically. "I can't have her involved with everything that's happening now. They would come after her to hurt me."

"You think Tom didn't worry about his own family?" Donna asked. "Believe me, he did. We had to live our lives though. Couldn't let them win. We can't ever let them win, Alex."

Romero shook his head.  
"She's been through too much." he said sadly. "I can't put her through the chance she might get hurt or worse."

"Norma seems strong enough to handle herself. I think she would make a good Sheriff's wife. I should know shouldn't I? It's not easy to keep a man like you and Tom from becoming married to the job. I think if anyone can make you a better Sheriff and a better man, she can." Donna told him.

Alex would love to admit she was right. Would love to go home to Norma and apologize. Donna made it all seem so easy. Like Norma could ever be prepared for a life of constant worry over him. If he might be killed in the line of duty. If someone might decide to take revenge on him and hurt her to the boys. He couldn't do that to her.

"Why don't I take Tom's shaving kit." he said gently.

~ Alex had retreated to his small rental house in town. He'd lived here since moving back to White Pine Bay and it was typical for a bachelor. He wan't lying to Norma when he told her about the futon, the big screen and the neon sign in the kitchen. The only difference is that it was for a beer company and not a strip club. His house lacked any kind of comfort and warmth that a woman would bring. His one personal picture, him and his mom, still stood sentinel on his desk. The rest of his home was bare and impersonal. Just like Alex used to be before he met Norma.

It had gotten around town very quickly that Norma Bates and Sheriff Alex Romero had broken up. The funny thing was, Alex was sure Norma hadn't told too many people, yet, less than a week later, it was already old news.

Norma hadn't called him and he resisted the strong urge to call her. He wanted to apologize and tell her he didn't mean any of it. It felt like he was dying inside to lie to her like that. To pretend he'd never loved her at all when she was all he thought of most days.

Late at night, when he knew she and the boys would be asleep, he drove by their house and had to think of all the reasons not to knock on her door. It felt as painful as drug withdrawals to be without her. His body missed being with her. The way her hair smelled when they were in bed together. How her skin was soft and warm on his. He desperately wanted to hear her say his name again. She always said his name so happily. No one ever said his name like she did. He didn't have anyone to talk to anymore either. Wilson was gone, and Sybil was ready to rip him apart. Now with losing Norma, he didn't just lose his lover, he'd lost his best friend.

Sybil had been furious at him, and he had to expertly duck the old woman's calls and even have Clarice keep her from coming into the Sheriff's department altogether.

If there was any investigation pending about Juliet, Alex couldn't find it. He was sure Tom Wilson had wanted to handle the matter off the books for the moment. There was no record of a lie detector test being administered, nothing in the log books about new evidence in Juliet's disappearance.

Alex had checked over the evidence sign in sheet to see Tom had gone through the case file from ten years ago. Out of sheer curiosity, Alex decided to awaken the ghosts from his past to.

He saw right away why Tom was suspicious about Juliet's case. Alex had been expecting a good size file box with reams of interviews, statements and profiles. Instead, there were only a few folders, of basic information. Most of them appeared redacted and blacked out. Alex read his statement from ten years ago. How careful he'd been when giving it to police. He didn't embellish or rush ahead. He kept it simple. Just like an innocent person would. There was nothing at all about Bob Paris or him outside of his statement. No profiles on suspected kidnapper or suspects. Alex saw his own father's signature on the final report that closed the case a year after the disappearance.

Juliet's mother, now living in Florida, had asked her daughter be declared dead. The judge had complied and a certificate of death was issued.

Alex had never heard of such a thing after only a year and no body. There was nothing about any leads or any suspects. No indications of foul play or any clues as to what happened to Juliet. It was like the people around town had conspired to want her dead. His own father among them.

 **WOW! So I've gotten a TON of feedback about how it's out of character for Alex to say what he did. I do agree that it's horrible and wrong, but that is the point behind this break up. Keep in mind he was laying to her and she should tell. It's not forever. I have to make them suffer so when he wins her back, it will be even better. He will really have to work to get his sunshine back though. **

**Just keep calm and think of Normero babies.**


	67. Chapter 67

67.

~ "Sheriff, a Mr. D.R. Massett is here to see you." Clarice told Romero one afternoon a week later.

Sheriff Romero was still acclimating to his new position and, although he'd grown up here, lived and worked here for years, he was meeting new people everyday. He had to think who Mr. D.R. Massett was. Probably some out of county politician or worse.

"Let him in." Romero nodded curtly to his receptionist. Clarice smiled and stood aside to reveal the pint size form of Dylan Massett. Norma's oldest son.  
"Dylan." Alex said in surprise. Clarice was quick to exit. Perhaps she didn't want to incur the new Sheriff wrath for her trickery.  
"Hello, Sheriff." Dylan said politely.

Alex hardly knew what to say to the child.

"How are you? Would you like something to drink?" he finally asked. "I... I think I have hot cocoa." Alex said hopefully.  
"No, thanks." Dylan said. He looked around Romero's office.  
"Why don't you have a seat?" Alex asked. He left his desk chair so that the two of them could sit face to face. Wilson always talked to people without a desk between them and Alex wanted to copy the practice.

"Is this your office?" Dylan asked. The child looking skeptically at the deer head Alex's grandfather had shot more than fifty years ago.

"Yeah. The Sheriff gets his own office." Alex told him.  
"Did you kill that deer?" Dylan asked worriedly.

Romero turned around to look at the deer head. He questioned wether or not to hang it up at all. A lot of people were against hunting of any kind in this town. In the end, he decided to make a statement that he didn't care what anyone thought. Besides, when he was a child his grandfather told him stories about shooting that deer. The family had even named it Prince PowPow and Alex had only good memories associated with it.

"My grandfather shot it. A long time ago." Alex said.

"Do you go hunting?" Dylan asked. "For deer?"

Alex ran a hand over his jaw. He felt the tension bubbling between them growing. How can a child make him feel so guilty so easily?

"Why don't you tell me what this is about, Dylan?" he said gently. Although he already knew the answer.

Dylan took a deep breath.

"When are you coming back home?" he asked. "I'm sorry for whatever I did wrong. I won't do it again. Mom really misses you and it's not nice when you're not home."

Alex let out a sigh. It would be harder with Dylan than it was with Norma.  
"Son, what did your mother tell you?" he asked.

"That you weren't going to be around anymore." Dylan said.

"Did she say why?" Alex asked.

"No. Not really."

Alex felt that all to familiar pain in his chest. A hurt that was growing and would leave invisible scars.

"It's… it's my fault, Dylan." he told the child. "It's not your fault or your mom's fault."

"Well, what did you do? Can't you just say your sorry? Promise not to do it again?" Dylan asked.

"That's not how it works this time."

"You make me say I'm sorry! Even when I'm not!" Dylan accused sharply.  
"Dylan, this is more complicated." Alex explained. "This is grown up stuff."

"If you did something wrong, just say your sorry. Mom will forgive you. She always forgives me." Dylan told him.

Alex tried to think of the right words to say, but nothing came to him.

"Is it because you don't want to be our dad? Because we're not your real kids?" Dylan asked. His spirit, already so wise, sounded ready to be horribly wounded.

"No." Alex said truthfully. He looked the child in the eye and saw Norma's eye color reflecting back at him. The same color blue as a violent storm coming over the water. "Dylan, I would love to be your dad. I would love to be Norman's dad to. I would love to have you as my family."

Dylan looked at him critically.  
"It's because I'm not good enough to be your dad. I'm not good enough to be your mom's husband." Romero explained at last.

"Well, I think you are." Dylan said simply. "You've never done anything bad to us. You make mom smile a lot and she never used to smile before."

Alex swallowed hard.  
"Was it because you almost died?" the child asked. "Because you think mom will be sad if you die?"

Alex felt his jaw ache from grinding his teeth.

"No, son. It's because your mom and you boys deserve a better man than me." he told the little boy.

Dylan seemed to be thinking all this over. Romero's curiosity got the better of him. He missed Norma and longed to know about her. It was painful not seeing her every evening after work. It hurt him to be alone in bed when he had grown used to her snoring and the occasional kick under the covers. He missed the late night pillow talk between them and all the ways she liked to torment him. He had bought some TV dinners last night and could almost hear her giving him a lecture. Her face scrunching up to show how disgusted she was as his food choice.

She wasn't wrong. Those frozen foods were tasteless garbage compared to her cooking. He longed for her to cook for him again. For dinner at the big table and a nice movie with the boys. He and Norma on the couch behind the children. How she would curl her body into his and almost fall asleep while the boys ignored them in favor of the movie. He missed doing the dishes while the boys settled down for the night. Talking to her about her day and maybe he'd pick a fight just to have that fire in her eyes light up with her unending passion. Then, just as easily as if they'd rehearsed it, she would be in his arms and kissing him. Maybe still wanting to argue, but quickly giving into each others needs. Their lovemaking was easy and comfortable, yet had all the demands and heated satisfaction of a pair of teenagers. Their rhythm together was like dancing and they both knew all the right steps and flourishes.

Alex felt his face flush when he remembered how beautiful it had been. How he'd recklessly destroyed what they had as if it meant nothing at all.

"How is your mom? Are you and Norman okay?" he asked Dylan. He felt like his heart was dying inside his chest.

"Mom sleeps a lot. She always has Norman in bed with her. I make my own lunch now." Dylan told him sadly.

Romero nodded.  
"You've always been responsible like that." he told the little boy.

"I don't want to be responsible." Dylan said petulantly.

"I know, son."

"Can't you just come back home now? She won't be mad. You're good enough for us. We like having you there and there's no one to make mom smile anymore." Dylan explained.

Alex's chest hurt. Worse than when he got shot.

"Dylan, I... I want you to... try really hard to make your mom smile." he said. His voice quivering from the pain in his heart.

The little boy shook his head.  
"For me?" Alex prompted. "Tell her jokes and make her smile."

"I'm not happy enough to make jokes." Dylan said.

Alex, more than anything wanted to take the child home to Norma, beg her for forgiveness and be reunited into the family that seemed to want him more than his own family ever did.

"You will be. I need you to be happy. For your mom." Romero said at last.

Dylan looked skeptical, but nodded.

"Okay." Romero stood up and the child was quick to follow. "Listen, it's best not to tell your mom you came to see me. Okay?"

"I can't **ever** come to see you?"

"You can, but I don't think your mom would like it." Alex told him.

"I thought I could always talk to you." Dylan said sadly.

Alex felt like he had been punched in the chest again.

"You can always come and talk to me." he said at last. "Any time you want."

~ Norma finally woke up at midnight to feel the anxiety creeping in. Her body was weak from sleeping too much and not eating. She needed a shower and needed to shake off this horrible pit she had been pushed into.

She could feel her world shifting slightly. Becoming warmer and more comfortable. She turned over and saw Alex was curled next to her. His face bathed in a kind of neon blue moonlight, but still beautiful.

"You're not really here, are you?" she said weakly.

"No." he whispered. "This is all just a dream."

"I miss you."

"I miss you to. You know I do."

"Why don't you just come home? Why did you lie to me?"

"You know why, Norma."

"No, I don't!" she snapped. Anger flooding her body till she could feel in in her finger tips. "You just like breaking my heart?"

He was silent. His eyes, so magnetic and beautiful, made her melt slightly. Made her forgive him.

"Is it because there was no baby?" she asked. Her voice breaking slightly.

"Is a baby the only reason to stay together?" he asked.

"Don't do that." she groaned. She didn't want him to answer a question with a question. How comes dreams never played nice? "I didn't think it was that important to you. I thought I was enough."

"If you had told me a year ago I'd be having this conversation, I wouldn't believe you."

"Tell me about it." she sighed. "A year ago I was married to Sam and living in misery."

"Are you miserable now?"

"No. Just sad."

"Would you be sadder if you were pregnant?"

"Yes. Because you would have stayed for the baby and not for me."

"What if I had stayed for you?"

"You didn't stay for me." she accused.

"Are you planning to hate me forever?"

"I don't hate you now." she shrugged. "I've tried and I just can't."

"Why not?"

"I love you too much. I wish I didn't."

"Good to know." he said.

"Do you think we would have been happy?" she asked. "I mean, I keep picturing our lives together and I always see us happy."

"It's always happy in your head. In the real world we fight a lot."

"Yeah, but it's always fun." she said easily.  
"That's true. I mean, we're awfully good at it."

"We're the best."

She looked at him and saw his gaze was affectionate.

"It's not that I didn't want a baby with you. Someday." she admitted. "You'd be a wonderful father. I'm just scared."

"I don't blame you. After all you went through." he said sadly.

"I had a dream about a little girl." she admitted. "We were all living on the farm. I was canning fruit and sewing. The boys were outside playing. There was this little bundle in pink. I went to pick her up, and she was beautiful."

"Oh, dear." Alex sighed, but he was smiling. "A daughter."

"What's wrong with a daughter?" she smiled. Her mood picking up at the opportunity to torment a figment of her imagination.

"I'd worry about a girl non stop." Alex sighed.

"You know she'd be pretty to. I mean look at the two of us. How could she not be?" Norma added happily.

"See? You're making it worse. I know how boys think and it's never good." he groaned but was still smiling.

"She will have two older brothers who will look after her." Norma said smoothly. "Plus her daddy is a Sheriff. What boy in his right mind will mess with a Sheriff's daughter?"

"That's certainly true." Alex agreed. "Still, our daughter would defiantly be very attractive. We'll have to put her in a convent."

"No convents, Alex." Norma said with a grin.

"Fine, then no dating till she's fifty."

"I want grandchildren."

"No, she's too young to have children."

"Alex!" Norma teased. "You'd be the most over protective father in the world! She's going to rebel!"

"She can rebel when she's eighty." he told her. "Till then, she can live at home. Take care of me when I'm an old man."

Norma was smiling and kicked him under the covers.

Alex turned more to face her.

"Maybe we just weren't meant to be." he admitted with a sigh.  
"It felt so right, Alex. It felt like you belonged here." she said sadly. "Everything felt normal and happy."

"Hate me. Be angry with me. Just don't be sad. Sadness get nothing done, anger motivates you." he said.

"I don't want to be angry with you. I love you." she blinked back tears.

"And I left you crying in the kitchen." he said softly. "So stop loving me and be angry with me. Stop spending all day in bed. Go take a shower and clean house because you like to. Make yourself look pretty again because you're beautiful. Look after the boys again because you're a good mother. They need you. I'm not worth all this grief you're putting yourself through."

"What about… what about the farm and the sewing? The little bundle in pink?" Norma asked sadly. "What about her?"

"She wasn't real." Alex told her calmly. "I'm sorry, but she wasn't real."

"Was I enough?" she whispered and could feel the real world come crashing down again. "Was I enough to make you happy?"

"You were more than enough." his voice came floating back to her.

Norma woke up in her bedroom and realized she smelled bad. Her hair was dirty, her sheets were ripe from not being washed, and she had worn the same clothes for days on end.

 _'_ _I need a shower_.' she decided. ' _Then, I'm doing laundry and cleaning house._ '

 **I still love all this feedback, but DAYUM! Guys we know Normero will be back together, right? Cuz they will. I can't have them be happy and unicorns shooting rainbows out of their butts all day. Alex WAS a bit harsh, but he had been harsh before on the show. It wasn't until season four he became prince charming. Also, hey, remember Norma could be savage to. The last time he saw her alive she was just plain mean. Grrr! Trust me, their reunion will kick ass. It will be like falling in love all over again.**


	68. Chapter 68

68.

~ Charlotte called Alex a month after he'd left Norma crying in her kitchen. He suspected that his best friend would be calling to tell him off for breaking up with Norma like he did. Sybil had a few flowery words for him; as well as hand gestures. He expected Charlotte would be even more colorful and obscene when she lectured him about breaking Norma's heart.

Instead, Charlotte told him it was finally time to come to San Fransisco. Her wife Genesis didn't have much time left.

Alex had quickly took a brief leave from work to fly down for them. As usual, he had Deputy Washington or another trusted Deputy drive by Norma's house, her work or the boys school a few times a day. These men never asking questions as to why they had to patrol the places the Sheriff's ex lived and worked. They already knew why.

He was putting in more hours at work than ever before. Being Sheriff was more of a learning curve for him that he expected. Tom had made it look easy, but Alex hadn't anticipated so much more paper work, meetings and phone calls. He wondered how Tom had found the time for it all. Not to mention that it was no easy task to take the lead and give orders to people when he had always been the one to look for Tom to decide what needed to be done. Now all the decisions were his and his alone. It was all on his shoulders, and he could feel the weight and it's burdens making him harder and more direct when he spoke to others. Especially if he suspected they were trying to intimidate him. It was those times, he channeled an inner strength he didn't know he had, and bit back at his attackers. All while remaining perfectly calm and unflinching.

So, when he got the news that Charlotte needed him in San Fransisco, that the end was near for her wife, Alex was relived to get away for a few days. Relived to not think about Norma, or his new position or all the headaches he could expect to face now that he'd pissed Bob Paris off.

When he arrived in the city, Charlotte was there to pick him up, looking stunningly beautiful as always. She had dressed in an all white pant suit and her well tanned skin made her look like a Goddess on the mountain. He'd expected to greet his friend with his normal sexual torments. Her wife was dying, his heart was broken over Norma and maybe they could both be sad together.  
"Hello, Gorgeous." he said and tried to smile.

He didn't expect Charlotte to punch him quite that hard in the jaw. Didn't think she'd hit him so hard he'd lose his balance and fall on the ground. He certainly didn't expect to feel his tooth loosen from the hit and his mouth fill up with blood.

People were staring at them in the airport and Charlotte had the decency to look slightly concerned they might be making a scene.  
"Get up." she told him curtly.

Alex groaned as he stood back up. He ran his tongue over his teeth and felt his back tooth fall out. He spat into his hand and showed it to her with all the blood.  
"Not so handsome now, are you?" she said happily.

~ "Chuck, I need to go to the dentist." Alex said pitifully and spat more blood into the plastic cup she had given him. She was driving him through hellish traffic. His friend seeming immune to the laws of physics as she swerved and dodged each car like she was in a racing game.  
"Just walk it off, you'll be fine." she said.  
"You can't walk off a broken tooth, Chuck." Alex said and held the ice pack on his jaw again.

"God, men are such babies." she sighed.  
"You know I got shot, right? I could be dead."

"It was a through and through. You're fine." she said lazily.

"My arm is still in a sling, Chuck. You punch me in the face?"

"You're lucky I didn't punch you in the fucking nuts." she snapped. "I talked to Norma a few days ago."

Alex spat more blood out and groaned.  
"Yeah." Charlotte huffed. "She was way too nice when she described your little break up."

"I had to." Alex told her.

"I had to." Charlotte mimicked him in a mini mouse voice. "You had to tell her she tried to trap you? As if anyone would want you. You told her you were just playing house? What the hell? You make her love you, you make her kids love you and then you tell her the most awful things I've ever heard. What's worse is that I know you love her. So what's the deal?"

"Chuck, the asshole that shot me, killed Wilson. He would have hurt her to. If she's not apart of my life anymore, they can't hurt her or the boys to get me to jump through their hoops." Alex explained.  
"You think they won't hurt her anyway?" Charlotte barked. "I mean if they really wanted to get to you."

"They know we're not together anymore." he said.

"It's so obvious you still love her, Alex."

"I put the fear of God into their money man." Alex groaned. "He knows better."

"Why not just leave? Take Norma and join Witness Protection. You have enough on all the families and Bob Paris." she asked. "The forensic accounting on the money trial is more than enough to call the DEA. Why not just cut and run? Leave it to the feds to clean up the mess."  
"Because this is my town." Alex snapped. "This is my home. I'm not giving it up to thugs and low life criminals. I'm not selling my soul to keep everyone happy either."

"So you're just going to break the heart of the woman you love? Brilliant plan, Sheriff." Charlotte said sarcastically. She cut across four lanes of traffic in one long swoop without signaling. Alex feared they might die.

"Norma isn't safe being around a man like me. I'll have a target on my back until all the scum is cleaned out." Alex said. "I'm surprised they haven't come after me yet."

"Me to." Charlotte agreed. "So what's your long term plan, Sheriff? Norma will go her way and you'll play Elliot Ness?"

"Something like that." Alex sighed. "Can we go to the dentist now?"

~ Charlotte wasn't totally without mercy. She took him to see a decent emergency dental surgeon who managed to put Romero's tooth back in. He'd be in pain for a few days, but Charlotte seemed happy about that.

"How did Norma sound when you talked to her?" Alex asked through a wad of gaze in his jaw.  
"Better than you look." Charlotte said.

She shrugged and looked saddened at the idea of his romance with Norma ending.

"She wouldn't say anything bad about you. She told me you were lying about seeing someone else. She could tell you were hiding something from her. That you wouldn't talk to her about what was really bothering you. That you wouldn't let her help you. She said the boys miss you. Dylan has been acting out in school and at home." she explained.

"Dylan? What he doing?" Romero demanded.  
"Not your problem anymore." Charlotte said quickly.

Alex rolled his eyes.

"She wants you to come back, idiot. I can tell she really loves you. I'm not sure why. I don't see it. I mean, personally, I think Norma can do better. She told me about the pregnancy scare. I think you forgot the condom on purpose." Charlotte casually accused.

"I did not!" Alex said hotly.

"Yeah, ya did." she said sarcastically.

"I was happy when I found out she wasn't pregnant."

"No, you weren't."

"Chuck, I mean it, I was glad."

"Bullshit." she huffed.

Her shark like smile back in full force.

Alex let out a long sigh.  
"I was a little disappointed." he admitted.

"Aww, it's okay, honey." she said with an evil grin. "I'm sure some other amazing, beautiful, strong willed woman who gets you right down to your soul, will fall in love with you and want to have your babies. I'm sure lighting strikes twice."

"You really know how to make a guy feel better, Chuck." Alex said darkly.

~ When they finally saw Charlotte's wife Genesis, Alex wasn't ready for how deathly ill the poor woman looked. At their wedding, Genesis had been a beautiful bride next to Charlotte. She was luminous when she smiled and she smiled a lot. Her skin had glowed with the perfection of being in love and Alex had wished more than anything to know what that felt like again.

"Genny?" Alex said when he saw the pale, fragile creature in the hospital bed.

Genesis looked up at him and smiled.  
"Alex." she grinned and pointed to his swollen jaw. "What the hell happened?"

"Your wife hit me." Alex said pitifully. "She's being mean to me again."

"Oh, yeah?" Genesis said sympathetically. "Well, I'm sure you deserved it after breaking up with Norma."

"Damn, you women all stick together." Alex smiled down at her.

"Of course we do." Genesis said happily. "I'm so glad you came to see me."

"I was glad to get away for a while." Alex admitted.

Genesis nodded to his arm in a sling.

"I heard you got shot." she said. "Are you going to be okay?"

"Finally some sympathy from the fairer sex." Alex pretended to be relived. "Yes, I'll be fine." he told her.

"I heard your friend Wilson died." Genesis said.  
"Yeah." Alex whispered.

"I'm sorry. I know you two were close."

"We were." Alex admitted.  
"Will you do me a favor?" Genesis asked.  
"Anything." he agreed.  
"Will you call that Norma lady and apologize to her?"

Alex looked away.

"I'll tell Charlotte not to hit you in the face anymore." Genesis promised.

"I can't be with her, Genny." Alex admitted.  
"Why not? Is there some kind of law that says you can't legally marry the woman you love based on someone else's beliefs?" Genesis asked sweetly.

"Now, now, claws in, baby." Charlotte said and leaned over to kiss her wife. Alex winced at the picture where before he'd always been in heaven. Genesis looked emaciated, withered and near death. Yet, her wife still gave her endless, undying affection.

"It's always the innocent looking ones that are the most vicious." Charlotte said to Alex with a smile.

"You don't have to tell me." Alex agreed.

"So, will you talk to her? Charlotte thinks Norma might be the one for you." Genesis asked. "She sounded really nice over the phone."

"You talked to her to?" Alex asked. He felt he was being ganged up on. "You both talked to her?"

"Well, when Charlotte was on the phone and Norma told us what happened, I wanted to be on the line to. So we had a three way." Genesis said.

"It was so sexy, Alex." Charlotte teased with her shark smile.

"And you talked about me the whole time?" Alex asked.  
"No, not the whole time." Genesis said.  
"Yeah, you're not **that** interesting." Charlotte reminded him.

"Norma seems very lovely. She told us how you were with her boys and how much they love you. Her son Dylan got into a fight at school a few days ago. She's worried about her youngest son who had another seizure." Genesis said.

"Norman had another seizure?" Alex asked. "Is he okay?"

"Not your problem, Alex." Charlotte reminded him.  
"I can understand how you want to protect her from the bad things." Genesis was saying. She had always seemed like the good witch from the wizard of oz. Everything was always cheerful and optimistic. "You think it's safer for her if she's not with you. But let her make that decision on her own. Don't make the choice for her."

"Genny, there are things at work here you don't know about." Alex whispered.

"Like what?" Charlotte asked rudely.  
"Like things I never told anyone." Alex said darkly. "It's better if Norma hates me. It's better this way."

"It doesn't seem better." Charlotte said. "Not for anyone."

~ Genesis passed away quietly a day later. She slipped into a coma and Charlotte abided by her wishes and allowed life support to end when it was clear she wouldn't come out of it. Alex was with her when the doctor pronounced her wife dead. He'd been amazed she had held up so well at such a loss.

"I've had a long time to get ready for this." Charlotte explained. Her expression dazed, but not shedding a tear. "I always thought it would be harder, but she tried to make it easier for me. She planned everything ahead of time. She was ready to go."

"I'm so sorry." Alex told her.

"I'll be fine." Charlotte said quickly.

He reached out for her and she allowed him to hold her. Charlotte wasn't an affectionate person. Alex had never know her to be a hugger. As beautiful as she was, as close as they always had been, their hug felt a little awkward.

"I'm going to bury my wife." she whispered sadly. "We should have had the rest of our lives together. We should have had children and grown old together."

"I'll be here." he whispered. "As long as you need me."

Charlotte nodded. She pulled away and set her face to one of professional detachment.

"I still have all that information on Rebecca Hamilton and Bob Paris you asked about a while back." she said. She desperately needed to change the subject. "It looks pretty incriminating, Alex. Both of them will go to prison for decades. I mean the money laundering alone-"

"No. Bob Paris goes to prison for the next thirty years. There is still a booming drug trade in my town that needs a money man. His absence will create a vacuum that has to be filled by someone else. Someone who's not as easy to keep under control." Romero told her quickly.

"The same guy who killed Wilson?" she asked. "He doesn't sound easy to control."

"Trust me, he thinks he's the big dog." Romero said bitterly. "He has no idea what's coming for him."

"Please be careful, Alex." Charlotte said in a tone of real concern. "I can't stand to lose you to."

"You won't." he promised.

Charlotte looked at him carefully.

"You know, I wouldn't have traded one second with Genny." she told him. "Even though I lost her too soon, I still would have married her. I still would have loved her till her last breathe. I wouldn't have denied myself happiness just because I was afraid of losing her."

"Chuck."

"Please call Norma." she said begged. "Please make it right. You love her. Don't throw it all away because you think the worst will happen."

"She's better off without me." Alex said soberly.

 **Loving all the feedback and total feels for my Normero drama. Keep it coming! Let me know what you want to see and I will try to work it in as best I can as soon as I can. So far, I've got some great suggestions.**

 **You can find me on Instagram # Normero or #thesamecolorblue. I do little teasers for the next chapter after I've posted the last one. I'm evil as shit like that.**


	69. Chapter 69

69.

 _~ SIX MONTHS LATER ~_

~ Norma had to admit, money must be very nice to finally have. Never in her life had she ever had the ability to buy new furniture on a whim. Yet, that's what they decided to do today in town today.

"Maybe these chairs for my man cave?" George joked while they appraised soft leather recliners that cost a fortune.

George looked at her nervously, to see if she approved of his joke about a man cave. Norma gave him a smile to keep him happy. She ran her hand over the soft leather and glanced at the price tag.

"I think we can do better." she said after the shock wore off.

"I don't know. Maybe if I use the spare room as an office to?" George offered.

"It's just," Norma hated to say this, she felt like she was always saying it. "It's a lot of money for a recliner. What's wrong with your old chairs?"

"I knew there was a reason we get along so well. You're so practical." George said. "Christine would buy everything in the store and throw out the old stuff before it had a chance to become old."

Norma wanted to smile at his compliment, she knew he meant it, but she felt out of place in this fancy store. There were no words to describe the feelings she seemed to have these past few months. Her anxiety medication kept her emotions, good or bad, dead.

"Sometimes, it's just nice to buy new furniture." George suggested. "I mean, we're starting our new life together. We should have new furniture to go along with the new house."

"I still don't see why we need to move." she told him indifferently.

"Dylan and Norman need to be in a nice neighborhood with other kids. My place is too much of a bachelor pad and it's in the middle of nowhere." George explained. "The gated community is very exclusive and private. All the homes are maintained and it's a new beginning for all of us."

Norma nodded, but didn't agree. She didn't need a new life, she liked her old one just fine. She could never tell George that though. They were supposed to be starting a new life together. They were supposed to be happy.

She genuinely liked George, but found being around him made her self conscious at times. He would talk about issues, ideas and people and it felt like he was from another planet. He had grown up in such a different world than her. A world he seemed to think was ordinary and she couldn't even begin to imagine.

She knew nothing about the schools he had gone to or the hobbies he enjoyed. When he talked about working on a ranch one summer, Norma was sure he had been describing a movie plot and not something that had really happened to him.

George and his sister Christine had grown up with money. Lots of it, from what Norma could tell. They were so used to having everything, that they made being rich look normal and everyday. Christine had befriended Norma while she was at a flea market looking for a replacement dinning chair a few months ago. Dylan had been having a regular tantrum and had thrown one of her mis-matched dinning chairs down, and broke off a leg.

Her son was becoming more and more violent and angry since Alex had left them. So, Norma had enjoyed the break from her responsibilities, even if it was just going to the flea market. It was there, while looking over an estate sale, she had met Christine. The tall, extrovert redhead instantly wanted to be her friend after the two women had casually discussed vintage decorating.

It had surprised Norma that Christine wanted to take her out for drinks, wanted to go to see a show and do other girl stuff. Norma liked Christine because she was exactly what she needed. Someone with lots of positive energy who was determined to see the best in life.

When Christine and Norma had drank too much wine over dinner, Norma told her about Sam's abuse and how he died. Christine happily giving her new friend an empowering speech about becoming a stronger woman for having made it through such hard times. Norma eventually told her the horrible issues with Sam's life insurance to. The next day, Christine's brother George had showed up at Norma's door explaining that he was a lawyer and he wanted to help.

Still unsure of accepting help from strangers, especially after what Rebecca tried to do, Norma heard him out. George's plan was simple enough. They were going to sue Sam's insurance company and settle. She wasn't sure that it was such a good idea. It didn't seem polite, and she told him as much.

George looked at her like she was he most adorable thing in the world and she thought he was patronizing her at first.

"Insurance companies get sued all the time." he assured her. He was smiling ear to ear and she had felt her cheeks go red. "It's very nice of you to be concerned about a big corporation though."

She had felt embarrassed, but George had been very nice to her about it. He filed some simple paper work and told her he would call her. She didn't think it would be the next day, or that he would drop subtle hints about his recent divorce.

George had made regular excuses to come to Norma's home and see her. He didn't try too hard and too fast like Shelby. Yet, he didn't easily fit into her environment like Alex. George seemed too polite to really be comfortable in her life.

He was a people pleaser. Whatever she liked, he would like to. He wanted to know if she liked something before he would agree. If she asked his opinion on something, he wouldn't give it until he knew what she thought. He didn't really talk to her sons at all, but wanted Norma to speak for them like a translator. She knew he just wasn't used to small children and easily shook it off. Dylan didn't really care about him and Norman barely noticed him at all.

Norma couldn't complain too much about George. He was very nice to her. They never had any disagreements, no matter how small. If she had felt the urge to argue with him, he would quickly fold, and her opinion would become his. He wouldn't argue with her just to argue like Alex did. Her mood stabilizers kept her from feeling the need to express herself too much. So she and George were in perfect sync now.

George soon became the polite, uninvited guest in her life. She couldn't tell him how she had no feelings for him beyond gratitude for his kindness and friendship. She wasn't attracted to him in a physical way at all, and she couldn't picture their lives together. She could tell he wanted more from her, but she was felt the pain of Alex's absence too strongly to want a new man.

Perhaps if she had never been with Alex, she could have been happy with George. His security, his good manners and nice home; but there was no spark. She never felt anything when she saw him pull into her driveway. Her green Mercedes looked odd next to his range rover. Like her car somehow missed Alex's SUV and didn't like the replacement next to it. Maybe it was just the medication, but her passion for anything was gone now.

She could certainly do worse. George was kind and generous with his time and energy. He was a do-gooder. He worked pro-bono cases for disadvantaged people in need of a good lawyer. He was a good person.

George had money of his own, like his sister, and they both were fans of charity work and hosting fancy parties.

Soon enough, although she wasn't sure how she'd found herself in such a situation, Norma was right beside George and Christine. Helping to host a large dinner for people she never met. All of them with life experiences she could never relate to. They would talk about going on sailing trips, sky diving, vacations in Europe and how boring it all was. She felt out of step with these people who she had nothing in common with.

When George suggested they buy a house together, she hesitated. If she bought a house here in town, that would mean that she and her sons planned to stay here.

After Alex had coldly walked out of their lives, Norma was more than ready to leave town for good. She had nothing to hold her here now that her lover was gone. Besides, what if she saw Alex on the street one day? What would they say to each other? Would they just ignore one another like children?

"Whatever you think is best." Norma concluded and wandered away from the chairs to the kitchen supplies.

She didn't want anything in this overpriced gourmet kitchen area. She wished she had someone to laugh with when she saw the price tag for a wooden spoon. Honestly, who pays $50 for a wooden spoon?

She imagined Alex was here with her. She wished she could summon some kind of dialog to play in her head about the ridiculousness of this place, but nothing came. Her imagination sedated as well.  
"Norma we need to outfit your new kitchen." Christine was saying from behind. "You're our resident pastry chef and you have to have the best tools."

"I'm not a pastry chef." Norma said with a pleased smile.

"How many wedding cakes have you done in just this past month?" Christine corrected her. "Mille Tanner said her cake was the envy of all her friends. You're going to be turning people away from your new business."

"It's not a business. I just do wedding cakes as a hobby." Norma corrected.  
"George is having the new house designed around the kitchen for you." Christine told her. "I know you could be the next Martha Stewart with all your sewing projects and recipes."

"Christine." Norma said with a forced smile.

"Well, the next Martha Stewart of White Pine Bay then. I'm just so excited that George is happy. That he's marrying a lady with some class and some ambition. Who want's to prove herself to the world." Christine said happily.

Norma looked down at her engagement ring. George had given it to her as a birthday present and she wished he hadn't gotten such an obnoxiously big diamond.

She was sure Christine had picked it out for him. It was a terribly trendy pink diamond set in platinum and looked fake and gaudy to Norma. It glittered too much and felt too lightweight. She would have preferred a nice vintage ring. One that was unique and special. Not this cracker jack prize that cost him three months salary.

"We don't have to decide to today." Norma told her.  
"True. Thank God for mail order." Christine said. "When you live in such a small town you have to rely on home delivery. Norma we need to decide on your bridal shower soon. You've been engaged since April. Three weeks and no party?"

"It's not a first marriage for either of us." Norma explained. She felt no emotion when she thought about marrying George. Happiness, fear, worry, disgust… she felt nothing. "Maybe we should just go to the court house."

"The courthouse?" Christine snickered. "What and get married in a regular dress or something?That would be the most unromantic thing ever!"

"But we don't need a big fancy wedding." Norma told her.  
"Sure you do!" Christine said sweetly. "You need the wedding to be beautiful and epic. So people will know it's real."

Norma sighed. She couldn't picture herself in a white dress again. She'd done all this with Sam and hated it. Besides, she felt too old to be dressed in white and marched down the aisle with Dylan and Norman giving her away. That had been Christine's idea. Wouldn't it be precious?

"Oh… Oh Norma don't look." Christine said quickly and pulled her aside.  
"What?" Norma asked and looked around.  
"Your Ex, the Sheriff _Bulldog_ is here." Christine whispered like they were in high school.  
Norma immediately looked over and spotted Alex and his deputy talking to a store manager. He was at least fifty yards away and hadn't noticed her. His focus entirely on the store manager who seemed upset about something.  
"What the hell is he doing here?" Christine snorted. "Looks official whatever it is."

"I'm not sure." Norma said dryly. She watched Alex and Deputy Washington talk to the store manager, or rather the store manger talk to them. Norma guessed there had been some kind of issue that required the police, and Romero went because he liked to respond to these kinds of calls from time to time.  
"I still don't know what you saw in him." Christine whispered. This time, it felt like she was in middle school with her future sister in law. "I mean, sure he's not **that** bad looking. He's always so angry and suspicious of everyone all the time. I met him a few months ago when I had double parked outside the courthouse. He actually had the nerve to tell me to move my car."

Norma wanted to laugh, but she didn't have the energy. She felt sorry for Alex having to tell Christine to do anything.

"I guess that's why we broke up." Norma told her.  
"Well, you certainly traded up." Christine said and nodded to her brother. George was coming towards them with his people pleaser smile.

"Well, I bought two of them for the man cave office." he told them.

"The chairs?" Norma asked.  
"They're really nice and very comfortable." he said.

"Oh." Norma said.

"Norma, money is made to be spent. You can't take it with you." Christine told her gently.  
"I think you'll love them, Norma." George told her once Christine had fluttered away like the social butterfly she was. "I know that you think i spend too much."

"It's not that." Norma said. "I don't know, I guess I wasn't as eager to go shopping as I thought."

"Nervous about the wedding?" George asked and took her hand like they were walking to class together.

"Christine said no to the courthouse idea." Norma sighed. She was already in need of a nap.  
"A wedding is just a day. A few hours really." George told her. "Our marriage will be forever. Beside, we both know this wedding is all about Christine."

"Yes." Norma agreed with the first real smile that day. She didn't feel happier when she smiled. She still felt… numb.

She and George were walking towards home furnishings again when, seemingly out of nowhere, Sheriff Romero himself almost walked right into them.

Like in slow motion, he nearly collided into the couple when he'd taken a sharp turn with Deputy Washington beside him. The Sheriff quickly backing away from the near collision among the fancy kitchen goods to survey them.

"Afternoon." Romero said in a sober tone once he took a long moment to survey them together. His eyes quickly taking stock of Norma and George holding hands.

"Sheriff." George said happily. Norma recognizing her fiancé's tone. It was the same one he used when he was uncomfortable at parties. "Good to see you."

"Is it?" Romero asked suspiciously.

"Well, yes." George said awkwardly. "It's nice to see law enforcement."

"Why would that be nice?" Romero asked. Norma saw his face was cold and unfeeling.

"How's Charlotte?" Norma asked. She might as well be the first to say something. "I haven't heard from her since the funeral."

"Chuck is fine. She called me last week." Romero said. His voice, when directed only to her, was softer than when he spoke to George. Then, all too quickly, Romero's attention was focused back on the new man in her life.  
"I understand your working on the campaign for Bob Paris." he said.  
"Yes." George said with a wide smile. Norma could tell he was nervous. "If the Mayor's recall actually happens, I think Bob Paris will make a fine candidate to take his place."

"I read you helped two senator's elected." Romero said. His tone practically an accusation.

"You heard right." George said and gripped Norma's hand tighter.

She wondered why he was so nervous around Alex. The instant she saw Sheriff Alex Romero, even though he looked angry and carved of stone, she felt a light of happiness break apart the numbness inside her. Perhaps that evil side of her liked the fact Alex made George nervous. She'd always enjoyed the idea of Alex vanquishing enemies. Even though George wasn't an enemy, she liked watching Alex scare him.

"It's kind of odd." Romero said with a shrug.

"What is?" George asked worriedly.

Romero looked around at the expensive home goods. His expression just as unimpressed as Norma had hoped for.  
"From senator elections to a small town mayor's race." the Sheriff mused.

"Well, Bob Paris is a terrific candidate for Mayor." George said.  
"With terrific friends it seems." Romero added knowingly.  
"Well, we have to go, Sheriff." George said with a forced laugh. "We were picking out furnishings for the new house."

"You're buying a house?" Romero asked. It wasn't really a question. Norma knew what he was doing. A quick succession of questions and comments before the suspect could properly answer the first one. It was meant to throw them off.

"We, Norma and I, are buying a house." George held up Norma's hand still clasp in his. Her gaudy pink diamond flashing brightly.

Norma looked away and didn't see Alex's face.

"Congratulations." Romero said in a voice that had no feeling at all.

Norma looked back at the Sheriff when George started to tug at her hand.

"Tell Charlotte I said hello." she said in a soft, meek voice. She saw her former lover blink and his gaze fall on her. For a moment, she remembered how his body felt on hers. How much she missed the feeling of their flesh together.

"Nice to finally meet you." George waved to Romero as the couple side stepped the Sheriff and his deputy.

Norma wanted to look back, but kept her focus on the exit out of the store.

 **I know. I'm evil. It's going to be okay.**

 **I hope I can keep updating everyday and I will try. My dad's funeral is Saturday and there is a lot of bullshit to do with his estate, securing the house, his money, his debts and not to mention his funeral and the fact I work a full time job. This is my distraction from all that I have to deal with. It's too much sometimes and I hate being an adult. Friendly advice? Make sure there is a will and that your loved ones know where to find your paperwork. My poor sister and I had to hunt all over for the deed to the house and a bunch of other stuff.**

 **It's exhausting.**


	70. Chapter 70

70.

~ Norma didn't care of the house George lived in. It was too modern and too impersonal. She knew it had been deigned by some famous architect, but there were too many windows and she always felt people could easily look in and see her.

"Why do you think Sheriff Romero was asking about Bob Paris?" George asked while he prepared stakes for dinner.

Norma sipped her wine and watched him with absolutely no interest. She wasn't supposed to drink alcohol with her mood stabilizers, but she liked the way they made her feel even more numb to the world.

"Who?" she asked.

"Sheriff Romero." George reminded her. "Why was he asking about Bob Paris and the recall election?"

"He likes to ask questions." Norma shrugged. "He's a Sheriff."

"Didn't it feel like he was accusing?" George asked. "Do you think it was because you two used to date?"

"Alex and I didn't date that long." Norma reminded him.

"He strikes me as the jealous type." George said and started to whisk some kind of sauce that went with their dinner.

"He's not." Norma said plainly. "I'll go check on the boys."

George had insisted on having a housekeeper who was also a babysitter for Dylan and Norman. He was the kind of man who didn't want to work his life around the schedule of children. So, Rose, an older lady from the village was hired to clean and look after her children so she didn't have to.

It had been a welcomed break at first, but Norma missed her sons and was saddened to think they might resent her for her new relationship with George so soon after Alex had left. Norman and Dylan each had their own bedroom but shared a well appointed playroom that had it's own TV, video games and even their own computer. It was important to George that they learn computers early. Now, all Dylan and Norman did was stay inside, practically hooked up to machines. She doubted if they had ever gone outside to play since they moved here.

"Dylan?" Norma asked when she let herself into the playroom. Her oldest was busy on the large desktop computer. His whole world seemed to be focused on the internet that George insisted they needed. Norman was watching TV, even though Rose knew it wasn't good for his condition.

"What is it, Norma?" Dylan asked without turning around.

Norma sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Stop calling me Norma." she told him. "I'm your mother."

"Sorry, Norma." Dylan sighed and refused to look at her.  
Norma let out a defeated sigh and came to sit beside her oldest.

"We went shopping for the new house today. Do you and Norman want to go with me next week? We can pick out stuff for your new room." she asked. She hoped bribery would work.

"No." Dylan said plainly.

"Well, maybe your brother wants to go." Norma argued.

"No." Norman said casually from his spot on the floor.

"You know, this summer I was thinking you might enjoy going to camp." Norma offered. "They have great program out of state. Riding horses, swimming and even fishing."

"Camp?" Dylan huffed. "Out of state? Tell me, Norma, was this your idea or your husband's?"

"Dylan."

"I understand newlyweds like to have time alone. Will you be packing both your children off for the summer or just the oldest? The oldest is always the trouble maker right?" he said.

"No one is packing you off anywhere." Norma told him. "I just thought you might like it. You love fishing."

"No, I didn't." Dylan said in a bored voice. "Let me guess, soon it's going to be boarding school."

Norma clamped her lips tightly together. George had suggested a very nice boarding school back east. One especially suited to Dylan's intelligence.

"I found the brochure, Norma. So don't lie." Dylan told her.

"If you don't want to go to camp, you don't have to." she told her oldest.

"I don't want to go to camp." Dylan said flatly.

Norma stood up and left her boys. She'd spent enough time with them for one day.

~ When she went back into the kitchen, Christine and George were talking in worried voices. Norma stopped where she knew they wouldn't be able to see her and listened in.

"Jamie wouldn't do that, George. She just wouldn't." Christine insisted.

"She was arrested in Georgia last year for assault. Those people she's hanging out with? Who's to say what kind of person she is now." George said.

"She's still our sister!" Christine said with an exaggerated cry.

"I know." George said. "I've sent her money, I've offered her rehab, but Jamie doesn't want help. If she refuses to get better, I saw we need to cut her off."

"No, what if she needs rent money?" Christine insisted.  
"You know that money won't go for rent." George said darkly.

Norma had heard the name Jamie before. The missing sister who, from what she could tell, was an addict of some kind and in trouble with bad people. She hadn't bothered to ask George about his missing sister. George hadn't asked her about her own family. He and Christine assuming she had just had some bad luck with late husband, Sam Bates. Neither one of them questioning anything else about her other than Norma looked like she belonged in their world. That was good enough.

"George, how can you be so cruel?"

"I want to help her." George said. "We can't help her if we're paying her rent and making it easy for her to use."

Norma decided she didn't want to hear the rest of this. She turned around to her bedroom to take a nap. Her medication, combined with the wine she drank earlier made her want to go to sleep.

~ Hillary still did her catering business downtown and just a block away from the Sheriff's station. Norma always glanced toward's that building when she went to collect her cake orders for the week. She hoped she would see Alex coming out of the station one day, but she never did. It had been especially nice to run into him before. She forgot how much she missed him. How just a few months had distorted things between them.

George was so different from Alex. Not just in looks and mannerisms, but in much more intimate ways. She hated the way George touched her. The way he kissed her was far too clumsy and awkward. She had no passion for him at all. It was more of a chore for her than anything to be enjoyed.

The opposite end of the spectrum was Alex. Their time together was always satisfying and calming. Her body feeling relaxed and happy afterwards. It was never uncomfortable or awkward. Never a chore and always something she looked forward to.

Alex had been her best friend, the person she trusted, even more than Sybil, with everything. She missed being able to talk to him. Missed the comfort he gave her and the feeling that she was safe. She always felt comfortable being herself with Alex and never with George.

Why had she agreed to marry him? If felt impolite to say no when he had proposed.

She glanced towards the Sheriff's station and didn't see Alex in the parking lot. She wanted to see him again. Wanted to joke with him about how expensive the kitchen supplies were in that shop. But she knew Alex didn't want to see her again. He had seen the gaudy engagement ring and she knew it had hurt him.

Maybe that was why she had said yes to George.

~ It was Wednesday morning. Exactly 8:30, and Sheriff Alex Romero was looking out the window of his office. Twice a week, he saw Norma Bates cross the street to the catering company. She wasn't dressed for normal work anymore, but wore a pink summer dress and carried paper work. Norma had reduced her hours at work, but kept busy making high end wedding cakes and other specialty items for Hilary these days. Sheriff Romero had watched carefully and noted her patterns for when she was in town.

From his office window, he saw her arrive every Wednesday morning and leave a few hours later. She would also come in on Fridays to and work for a few hours. Alex watched her eagerly as she crossed the street. Saw her glance at the Sheriff's station, her eyes looking directly at his large window.

"Good morning, Norma Bates." he said to her as she looked away. Her face seemed sad but seeing her always made him smile.

He watched her safely cross the street and into the catering kitchen for work. Alex finished his coffee and decided to start on the morning paper work. He always stayed in his office and did paper work on Wednesday and Fridays. He didn't want to miss Norma when she came back out again. She was the only thing that cheered him up during the week.

The knock on the door brought him back to reality and he resigned himself that the work day had started early.

"Yeah." he said by way of greeting.  
"Sheriff." Deputy Washington was at the door. Romero looked at him expectantly as the normally professional Deputy closed the door behind him.  
"You asked if there were any developments in the Caleb Calhoun case." Washington said.  
Romero perked up at the mention of Norma's brother.  
"What happened?" the Sheriff asked.

"It's probably nothing, but his parents have been visiting him in prison. A Raymond and Francine Calhoun from Florida." Deputy Washington explained. "Speaking with his lawyer about his case."

Romero felt tense at the mention of Caleb Calhoun and the news of Norma's parents were barely an hour's drive from here would be upsetting to her.

He quickly forgot his routine of paper work and keeping an eye on Norma.

"When was the last visit?" he demanded of Washington.

"They've been seeing him everyday around ten in the morning." Washington said. "I only know because a buddy of mine is a guard there. Keeps me in the loop on visitors."

"How long have they been seeing him?" Romero demanded. He stood, slipped on Wilson's old jacket and headed out of his office.

"Two days, and all the conversations were recorded." Washington said.  
"Good, call Judge Becket and get a warrant, I want to know everything Caleb Calhoun said to his parents." Romero ordered.

"Sure." Washington said. "What are you going to do?" Washington asked.

"What do you think?" Romero grumbled.

~ Ray and Frannie Calhoun didn't look at all like their daughter. Romero watched them talking to Caleb from the guards observation room. The video cameras were recoding everything Caleb and his parents said and did during visitation. It was hard to believe Norma had the same genes at these people.

Frannie was unkept and overweight. Her body was meant to be small and petite, but years of an obviously unhealthy diet had caused to expanded in places that must have been uncomfortable. Her mouse brown hair was streaked with grey and lazily pulled back. Her face was unhealthy looking and it was clear her teeth were and issue.

Yet, she had Norma's fine features. Her nose and cheekbones, the same sad expression.

Ray Calhoun was a large man. Built exactly like his son Caleb. His hair was still blonde and, aside from weathered skin and a large waistline, Norma's father had aged better than her mother. Alex hated seeing Norma's pretty eye color on the beefy man.

The Sheriff could tell right away that Ray Calhoun was a violent man. He spoke too loudly and was eager to slam his fist on the table and cross his arms. He spoke to Caleb like he was a child who had gotten in trouble at school.

Romero leaned in close when Ray had finished complaining about minorities, the state of the country and the traffic.

"Norma Louise isn't in that house like you said." Ray accused his son. "Why'd you lie to us? She wasn't there and ain't nobody living there at all."

"She was living there." Caleb said meekly. His voice stuttering slightly.

"She doesn't have a phone number." Frannie joined in with her husband. Romero shook his head. The woman was co-depedant on her husband. She agreed to help him abuse their children for fear of what might happen to her if she didn't.

"She… she has a phone." Caleb said with a stutter again. Even as a grown man, he was still afraid of his parents.

"I need to see my grandsons." Ray barked. "It's not right she's trying to keep them from us. They're our blood and we have just as much rights as she does."

"I swear she was living in White Pine Bay." Caleb said. "Dylan was going to school there. Maybe try is school."

Romero stood up.

"Send the video to the station with the others, Sheriff?" the guard asked.

"Yes. Keep them here as long as you can. Make them do some bullshit paperwork or something." Romero ordered. He had to get out of here. He had to get to Norma before her parents did.


	71. Chapter 71

71.

~ Norma had been taking an order for five wedding cakes to be done before Friday. Her new schedule, the demand for her cakes, were for Saturdays, which meant she had to deliver by Friday and help to set them up. Fortunately it also meant she could be home with Norman full time now. Rose would watch him while she ran errands, but Norma needed to be his mother again. She felt bad for allowing her children to be looked after by someone else while she was home. It felt selfish and irresponsible.

 _'_ _No more medication_.' she told herself for the hundredth time that day. ' _I'm not going to be a_ _zombie. I'm going to let myself feel everything._ '

She collected her paperwork in the nice leather case George had given her, and was glad she wasn't a twenty something bride. These girls were so stupid and silly, none of them had any idea what it was like to be a wife. To be that person who sacrificed everything for the family's happiness. She had to catch herself at the irony. She was still in her twenties and she was getting married in a few months to George. She didn't feel as stupid as these girls she had taken orders from today. She felt much older than them. Maybe because she had to grow up so fast. Maybe because this was her third marriage before the age of thirty.

She was walking to her car, glad that she could go back home to Norman again when she saw a lovely sight. The black and white SUV with White Pine Bay Sheriff emblazoned on the side, was parked next to her green Mercedes. She loved the sight of them together, because it meant she and Alex were together.

"Mrs. Bates." Romero's voice was crisp and professional. She turned and saw the Sheriff walking to her. His sleeves rolled up from the summer heat. His expression was serious and hard.

"Sheriff Romero." she said with a raised eyebrow.

Alex seemed a little out of breath. He looked worriedly around them. Making sure no one was watching.

"I need you to come with me." he said.

"Why?"

"I need you to not ask questions."

"Why can't I ask questions?"

He looked especially frustrated.  
"Norma, please get in the truck." he insisted.

"Oh, so it's Norma again?"

She watched Romero's jaw working back and forth in frustration and felt like she had won a small victory.

"You… you really want to do this right now?" he finally asked. "Can we just get in? Please?"

"Are you arresting me, Sheriff?" she accused. It felt good to not feel so numb. Her heart was beating hard at defying him.

"Do I need to?" he asked.

"Fine." Norma sighed. "Where the hell are we going anyway?"

"To pick up Dylan and Norman." he said and she felt his hand go to the small of her back guiding her to the passenger side of his SUV.

"Why do we need to pick up the boys?" she demanded.

Romero didn't respond until he had walked around to the diver's side, climbed in and started the engine.

"Alex?" she prompted.

"You're staying at George's house?" he asked. The SUV backing out of the lot and Norma was reminded of how much she liked it when he drove.

"Is that what this is about?" she asked with a laugh. "About George?"

She couldn't believe he had the nerve to ask her about her relationships and who she was seeing. Was he really that petty and jealous?

"You haven't lived at the old place in a while?" he asked.

"Alex, you know, you were the one-"

"Norma, your parents have been visiting Caleb while he awaits trial. They were coming here into town to look for you." Alex interrupted.

Norma felt cold fear wash over her. Her heart beating even faster than when she saw Alex again. There was a sharp ringing in her ears and she feared she might pass out.  
"What?" she asked. Her voice faltering slightly.  
"Your mother and father have been visiting your brother in prison. They mentioned that they have been coming into town to find you and the boys. They wanted to meet Dylan and Norman. Caleb told them to go to his school next." Romero said in a calm voice.  
"Alex." she gasped. "No. No, I don't…"

"Hey." Romero said easily. She looked back at him and believed everything would be alright. He was even smiling and when he took her hands in his. She hadn't forgotten how perfect his hands felt when he touched her."Let's go get the boys."

His tone was casual and almost happy. Like they were planning a day out.

Norma nodded and tried to stay collected. She felt tears welling up in her eyes and was glad Alex was there.  
"How… how did you even know?" she asked once the shock wore off.

"He's a murder suspect. We monitor all murder suspects when they have visitors." Alex explained.  
"How did they look?" she asked meekly. A part of her curious after all these years of not seeing them. "I mean, how did my dad look?"

"Like the kind of guy I don't want around the boys." Romero said curtly.

"Oh."

"It's going to be okay. We're going to get Dylan and go pick up Norman. You'll pack a bag and we're going to the farm for a few days. Your parents won't be able to stay in the area forever." he explained. "Motels and things like that can get expensive. Eventually they'll have to go back home."

"You don't know my parents." Norma sighed. "For all we know they're camping out."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

"I don't want my parents to see Dylan." Norma admitted. She knew as soon as her mother and father saw her oldest, that they would know the truth. She looked at Alex and tried to back peddle. "Or Norman… or me."

"It won't come to that." Alex assured her. "That's why you're going to hide out at the farm until they leave."

"What do I tell George?" Norma asked.

Alex looked annoyed.

"If you want to tell him, I mean… he's going to be your husband, Norma." Romero said.

"He doesn't know what they're like. I never told him anything about my parents, or Caleb. George and Christine, they think I'm this educated… polished… they don't know who I really am."

"If he loves you he won't care."

"He will care." Norma whispered. "George isn't like you, Alex."

As soon as she said it, she wished she hadn't. He was looking at her like he used to. Back when things were safe and sacred between them.

"This doesn't mean we're back together." she told him sharply.

"I know."

"Because we're not."

"You said that."

"I'm engaged."

"You mentioned that to."

"Okay."

"Alright."

"Fine."

"I know it's fine."

"Why do you always have to have the last word, Alex?"

"Not always."

"Yes you do."

"Look, we're here already." he pulled the SUV to Dylan's school. There was just a few days left before summer break and her son was not looking forward to the camp she and George were sending him to.  
"I'll go get him."

"Okay, go get him."

"I will."

"Great."

"God, you're still so contrary."

"Oh, and you're not?" Alex huffed.

"No, I'm not." she said and hopped out of the Sheriff's SUV before he could say anything back. She hurried into the building before he could think of a clever come back.

~ Alex watched her leave to collect Dylan. He had to admit, he loved watching her walk away. Especially when she was in a rush. Her slender, yet toned legs carrying her like a ballerina in her summer dress. He felt his pulse had quickened when he watched her; at the same time, some of the tightness in his chest had eased. His smile had come back after months of being gone. She had done that to him. She had made him smile again in just a few short minutes. She had erased all the anxiety and depression he had been condemned to since that horrible night, and he felt like things between them might be good again.

Very quickly, Norma returned with Dylan. The young boy looking different from the last time Alex had seen him. It had only been six months, but Dylan's completion was paler and his eyes had dark circles around them.

"Sheriff Romero?" he asked. The little boy looking curious at this new surprise.

"Come on, buddy. Backset." Alex said with a grin.

"I told the office not to answer any questions about us. It's their policy not to release any information to strangers anyway." Norma told them.  
"Just don't tell them where we're going." Alex said once Norma and Dylan were secured. He pulled out of the parking lot and headed to George's house.

"Where are we going?" Dylan asked

"Alex, is taking us to the farm for a few days." she said.

"Is Norman home?" Alex asked.  
"With the nanny." Norma nodded.

"Don't tell the nanny anything. Make sure she doesn't see you packing."

"What about my computer?" Dylan whined.

"Shh! Dylan!" Norma hissed.

~ Alex didn't like George's house. It reminded him of Bob Paris' house. Ugly, cold and impersonal. He couldn't imagine Norma living there.

"I'll go in and tell Rose to take a break and watch her soaps. She always watches her shows in her bedroom." Norma said. "I'll be right back."

Alex nodded and watched Norma leave them in the SUV.

"Why are we going to the farm?" Dylan asked while they watched Norma let herself into the house.

"Because we'll be safe there." Alex explained

"Safe from what?"

Alex shook his head.

"You just need to trust me, buddy." he said at last.

"Are you and Norma still mad at each other?"

"Why are you calling your mother Norma?" Romero demanded.

Dylan shrugged.

"I just started calling her by her name." he explained.  
"Well, don't." Alex said harshly. "Call her mom like you're supposed to."

"Why? Adults call her Norma." Dylan reasoned.  
"Those are adults and you're her son. You need to be respectful."

"Why?"

"Because no one respect a man who doesn't treat his mother well." Alex said with a sharp tone that meant the discussion was over.

Dylan appeared to sulk for a while.

"She's sending me away. Summer camp. Her and that guy George." he said at last.

"You don't like George?" Alex asked.

Dylan shook his head.

"Is George not nice?"

"Yeah, he's really nice. He doesn't talk to me and Norman much."

"Oh?"

"He's really boring." Dylan confessed. "Are you taking us away from George?"

"Not like that." Alex grinned. "It's just… a vacation."

Alex watched the door for Norma to emerge again.

"Does your mom talk about me? Is she still mad at me?" Romero asked.

Dylan shook his head.  
"I don't think she was mad. I think she was just really sad. She was sleeping a lot. Then she started taking these pills the doctor gave her. They made her eyes look funny. Sometimes I tried to talk to her, but it was like she wasn't there." he said.  
"I see." Romero said soberly.

Movement caught his eye and he saw Norma and her youngest emerge from the fancy house with two suitcases.

"I'm glad we're going to the farm. Mom will like it there." Dylan asked.

"Good." Romero told him.

Alex left the SUV to help Norma put her bags in the back and secure Norman for the drive.

"Mother?" Norman asked from the back seat as Romero put the SUV into drive again.

~ On their date night, Norma didn't get the chance to see the inside of the family farm house. It had looked so ideal that night, she didn't realize the interior was stuck in a time warp.

Tacky wood paneling was on the walls, yellow linoleum covering the kitchen floor and brown, shag carpeting in the bedrooms. Yet, under all that, the house had the potential to be charming. It had fantastic bones and felt sturdy under her feet.

"Sorry, about the mess." Alex said quickly bringing their bags in. "I'm in the middle of renovation."

He nodded to a completely gutted bathroom just off the kitchen.

"You're remodeling?" Norma questioned.

"Yeah, it's long overdue." he said.

She looked around at the small, but very homey kitchen.  
"The master bedroom is a mess." Alex explained. "The boys can sleep in my old bedroom."

Norma turned around when she heard Dylan and Norman laughing down the hall. Her curiosity aroused, she wandered past the living room till she found them in a good size bedroom. The walls were done with cowboy wallpaper and it had that same comforting smell all older homes have. The smell of countless rainstorms, summer days and winter winds protecting it's fragile occupants.

"What are you two doing?" she asked when she saw that her sons had taken the liberty of dragging out some of, what she could only guess, were Alex's old toys.

"Playing." Dylan said holding up a large GI Joe figure that was probably a collectable now.  
"Those aren't your's." She scolded.

"It's fine." Alex said from behind her. Norma could feel his hand going to her hip, pause, and fall away before touching her.

She turned and saw his face looked sad.

"This was your room?" she asked.

That faint smile was gone as soon as it came.

"Long time ago." he said sadly.

He nodded to the bathroom across the hall.

"Afraid you just have the one for now. I've torn out all the fixtures in the other one. I know it's not as nice as George's place." he explained. Maybe it was her imagination, but he looked slightly ashamed of the well worn farm house.

"We were used to one bathroom for a long time, Alex." she assured him. To be honest, she liked this house. Liked the way the floors creaked when they walked over them. Liked how the glass in the windows were wavy with age. Liked how the kitchen had a huge farm sink that you couldn't find anymore. Alex's childhood home felt comfortable and easy to live in.

"Like I said, I'm in the middle of fixing it up." he explained again.

"You're not going to sell it? Are you?" she asked in obvious horror.  
"No, I'm going to live here."

"Oh. Good." she nodded.  
Dylan and Norman were playing in Alex's old room while the adults stood in the living room and refused to look at one another.

"I'm glad you told me about my parents." she admitted. "I don't think I could handle them… just showing up at my door."

"They were already at your old house. Lucky for you, you had moved." he said.

"Yeah, lucky." she huffed. "Till George finds out what he was about to marry. One look at my parents and he's going to call off the wedding."

"That would be a stupid reason to call off a wedding. It's not like your parents are going to live with you." Romero offered.

"Maybe it's for the best." Norma sighed and slumped down in a nearby kitchen chair.

She looked at the gaudy pink ring while Alex took the chair across from her. She careless flashed the large stone as if it were a burden she couldn't handle right now.

"I mean, I can't exactly keep up this act anymore." she reasoned.  
"What act?"

"This Stepford Wife thing." she said. "Ever since I met him, he thinks I'm something I'm not. Him and Christine think I'm the next Martha Stewart and that everything I do is so clever and perfect."

"How dare they think that." Alex said dryly.  
"I know." Norma said quickly. "It puts a lot of pressure on me to be perfect all the time."

She was glad Alex understood and a smile bloomed on her face. Her smile fell away when their eyes met. Her memory going back to that awful night when he had yelled at her. She looked at her hands and started to play with her nails. She felt her pink ring was too lose on her finger. It always wanted to slide off or turn around to the inside of her hand. It never wanted to stay still and be the beautiful object it was meant to be.

"I… uh, I'm sorry for what I said." he told her in a somber voice.  
"I know." she quickly.

"I… I didn't mean it."

"I know."

"I'll understand if you still hate me." he told her.  
"I don't hate you, Alex." she admitted.

She finally looked back at him and saw how sad his eyes looked. She could easily picture him as a little boy in this house. As a child, he no doubt had that same sad expression that would follow him into adulthood.  
"Why not?" he demanded. "The things I said to you? I would hate me."

She shook her head. The look she gave him was a mixture of sadness and perhaps a touch of forgiveness.  
"Because, Alex, I still love you." she told him honestly.

 **Sorry about the mix up with the teasers. I'll make a new one for the next chapter. I'm on Instagram and I post teasers for each new chapter. My account is public so so you can see them. #Normero**

 **Been crazy busy today. Been running around like the devil was chasing me. I finally found my Dad's wallet! I was so happy! His driver's license, Social Security card and everything were in there. It felt really good to have something he touched everyday and never left the house without. I haven't been able to feel my dad's presence in the house at all since it happened, but I think I felt it a little today when I went through all his cards. He even had my name and cell phone number in the picture slot so people would know who to call if there was an emergency.**


	72. Chapter 72

72.

~ Alex felt his heart skip a beat. A cloud must have passed outside because the kitchen was suddenly flooded with sunlight. It lit up Norma's hair making it turn gold. The warmth of the summer light chasing away all the darkness in the old house. Or maybe it was just having Norma here. His demons always were afraid of tigers, and Norma looked especially fierce just now.

"I… I still love you to." he breathed. He was finding it hard to keep focused on everything when his home was full of sunlight and Norma was sitting across from him. Her face serenely beautiful and everything brighting with the promise of a happy life.  
"I know." she said in a gentle voice. Her eyes watering with tears that she held back. Her eyes the color of the bluest ocean. She sniffed, the back of her hand going to her nose and he smiled at how much he'd missed that gesture.  
"I know you still love us, and I don't hate you." Norma explained soberly. "But I'm still mad at you."

Alex looked back at her curiously. Another cloud must have passed again outside. The sunlight went away just as suddenly as it came.

"For lying to me? For yelling at me? Especially for yelling at me." she said. Her gaze fixing once more on her fingers. "It reminded me too much of something Sam would do."

"I'm sorry." he whispered.

"We're not back together, Alex." she said plainly.

"Even if we still love each other?" he asked hopefully. His breath felt painful in his chest now that she had made herself clear.

Norma granted him a small smile and his heart beat faster.

"We still love each other." she agreed sadly. "But you lied to me. You left us."

Alex felt properly shamed by the truth.  
"It's complicated, Norma." he tried to explain.

"You don't have to explain, and I didn't ask." she said curtly.

Alex found himself glaring at her. He had to remind himself to stay calm. None of this was Norma's fault and it wasn't fair to be mad at her after what he'd done.  
"I need to go back into the office. Are you and the boys going to be okay here?" he asked.

She nodded. Her face still sad looking.

"I have lunch meat in the fridge and bread in the pantry. Do you need anything from the store?" he asked. He had stood up and was looking for his keys.  
"Maybe pick up something for dinner?" she asked. "Whatever you want me to make."

"I can pick up a pizza." he offered. Wasn't a pizza the easiest thing to do over cooking?

Norma gave him a hard look. Her eyebrow raised again and he wondered why she seemed so annoyed.  
"Alex?" she her question was more like an accusation.  
"What?"

She stood and walked over to the ancient refrigerator that had been his grandmother's. She opened the freezer door and pulled out one of the TV dinners he had for his meals.

"Really?" she snapped in annoyance.

Alex didn't bother to look ashamed.  
"I can explain." he said.  
"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, see I was involved with this really cute but slightly obsessive lady who loved to cook for me, and got mad when I ate frozen dinners." he said.

"How long have you been eating these?" she demanded.

"Not too long. Few months." he admitted.

Norma looked horrified.

"It's not that hard to cook, Alex!" she scolded gently.

"I've been busy."

"Busy doing what? Preparing for your heart attack?"

"That and other things." he admitted slyly.

She looked through his kitchen cabinets.  
"I'll make a list for you to go shopping." she said. "I can make that pasta with the feta cheese you like."

"Would I have to buy feta cheese? People might get suspicious if I'm buying feta cheese all of the sudden." he said.  
"If you want to have feta cheese for the pasta, you'll have to buy it." she told him.

"I do want that feta cheese pasta you make." he admitted.

He watched her write out a small shopping list.

"I'll pick them up on my way home." he told her and folded her list to go in his wallet.

"Alex?" she called after him when he turned to leave.  
He looked back at her and saw the sunlight had flooded the kitchen again.  
"Thank you." she said. "For coming to get me today. You know better than anyone why I don't want to see my parents. Thank you for bringing us here."

"You're welcome." he nodded to her.

He glanced back at the hallway where the boys were playing in his old room.  
"Tell Dylan and Norman that there's a play house at the back of the property. I think it's still standing. My friends and I used to play there all the time. They look like they could use a little sun." he told her.

Norma raised that eyebrow again and gave him her most displeased look. Alex grinned childishly.

"Just a little sun." he amended before heading towards the door.

"I forgot how annoying you are." she said sarcastically.

"How could you forget?" he asked.

He quickly escaped out the door before she could respond. An unspoken competition between them to have the last word.

~ Back in town, Alex tried to compose his face to the mask of sullen annoyance again. It was difficult though. Norma had revived him in their brief time together. It was like she had given him a new source of energy and erased all the little things that had irritated him lately. He didn't even mind when he saw someone had parked in his spot.

"Clarice, have the tapes arrived from the prison yet?" Romero said sternly when he entered the station.

"No, Sheriff but you have someone waiting to see you." the receptionist said. Her frail voice sounding childlike with worry.

"Who?" Romero asked. He looked over the newest intake log to see if the tapes from Caleb Calhoun's visitation had arrived. He was annoyed to see they hadn't.

He looked back up at the receptionist when she refused to respond.

"Clarice?" he asked. "Who's here?"

She handed him a clipboard with the visitor information stuck to it.  
"They've been waiting about half an hour. Said they're here to report a missing person. I flagged it when it came back as Norma Bates." she said fretfully.

Alex snatched the clipboard from her and looked over the sloppily written form.

"Has anyone else seen this?" Romero asked calmly.  
"No."

"Let's keep it that way." he said and nodded to her. "Wait five minutes and then show them in."

"Okay." Clarice nodded. Her mood better now that someone was telling her what to do.

"Shred this." he said and handed her the form back. "There is no missing person, and you'll keep that information to yourself. Where's Washington?"

"At his desk." she said eagerly.

"After you show my visitors in I want you to go get him and anyone else who isn't doing anything. Wait for my call on Wilson's old signal phone, then have them come in." he said.

He gave her a knowing glare and she nodded.

Romero retreated to his office and mentally prepared himself to become stone and steel again. To be professional and detached from a situation he was close to. When Clarice knocked on his door, the Sheriff was pretending to be engaged in paperwork. No one saw him flip a switch on his desk that started a hidden audio recording of their conversation. His father had been the first to install it. The Old Bear using it as blackmail when he needed to. Wilson had kept it and used it to protect himself against the foulness that lived and profited in this town. Alex used it to protect Norma.

"Mr. and Mrs. Calhoun are here to see you." Clarice said.

Romero noticed how tiny his receptionist was with Ray Calhoun standing behind her. His body was massive and he looked capable of breaking anyone in half. His face was twisted into an expression that was ready to be angry and violent. Even with all the ugliness, Romero could see that Norma had inherited her father's eyes, and maybe his temper as well. Fortunately, she inherited nothing else. Franny Calhoun had Norma's nose and mother and daughter favored one another in facial composition. Again, Alex's sunshine had inherited nothing else from her mother. Franny was short and grossly overweight. The woman seemed to have adopted a total indifference to maintaining her own health. Norma's parents couldn't have been that old. Alex was sure that they were both barely over fifty, but it was clear they had lived a life that had run them down. A lifestyle that had aged them prematurely and broken their bodies before their time. Fortunately, neither of them seemed to care about their appearance. Norma's mother looked like she hadn't washed her hair in a few days, and her father's shirt was dirty and wrinkled. It was more than possible they were camping out like Norma had thought.

"What can I help you with Mr. and Mrs. Calhoun?" Romero said indifferently.

"You the man who arrested our boy?" Ray Calhoun barked.

Maybe it was the older man's massive size, but Alex's right hand immediately went to his side arm. A man as expansive as Ray Calhoun might need a lot of bullets to even slow down.

"I was one of them." Romero told him. He kept his eyes on both of their hands, but saw the older couple wasn't armed and they both looked too bedraggled to even carry weapons.

"Caleb said Norma Louise is living up here." Ray said harshly. "He said you'd know where she would be at. We were up at her house and we can't find her."

"Norma Louise?" Romero questioned.

"Our baby girl." Franny offered in a girlish voice. She grinned at Alex and the Sheriff saw her teethe were rotting.

"Your daughter." Romero said sullenly.  
"Yeah. Caleb said you talked to him about her and that you would know where she'd run off to. She's got our grandson with her." Ray thundered. The older man becoming impatient.

"Why don't you have a seat?" Romero nodded to the older couple.

Franny Calhoun didn't need to be asked twice. Her extra weight, combined with her age and what looked like too small feet must make it hard for her to walk. Alex guessed both of them were on some type of disability.

Ray glared at Romero and the Sheriff saw Norma's own look of displeasure had come from her father.

"Norma Louise Bates." Romero said as Ray looked at him suspiciously. "I believe she moved out of White Pine Bay over six months ago. Right after her brother was arrested for kidnaping and later charged with murder."

"He didn't kill nobody." Ray argued.

"Forensic evidence taken from his van says he did." Romero said cooly.  
"You calling my boy a lair?" Ray snapped. "He told me he didn't kill no girl. He didn't do it. He ain't even into little girls like that."

"He has a record of assault. A record of violence." Romero kept himself calm. Kept his face a statue.

"Those were misunderstandings." Franny said serenely. Alex had to wonder if this woman even lived in reality. Then decided she didn't. She looked far too happy with life to be burdened with her current circumstances.

Romero sat up a little straiter when a foul odor reached him. He turned his nose to the air vents so he wouldn't have to breathe in the body odor and dirty clothes of Norma's mother and father.

"Mr. and Mrs. Calhoun, I've told you all I know about Norma Louise Bates." Romero sighed. "I'm sure if she wanted to talk to you, she would find you."

"He ran off with some boy when she was only seventeen." Ray barked. "We ain't never seen her since."

"Well, if she chose to leave, then there is nothing I can do for you." Romero said and gave them both his best ' _fuck you_ ' smile. "But if you leave a forwarding address and phone number, we can give them to her if she decides to come back."

"Caleb said that you've been screwing her." Ray accused. The older man glaring at Romero like he wanted to throttle him. Alex's hand fell on his side arm again. He kept his face still and indifferent.

"Caleb Calhoun? A murderer?" Romero said simply.  
"He didn't kill anyone." Franny said with a smile. "It's all a big mistake."

Alex didn't let his gaze stray from Ray Calhoun. It was like they were locked in silent battle for supremacy. Romero leaned forward, picked up his desk phone, punched in a specific code, and hung up the receiver again when the red light started flashing.

Ray and Franie looked confused as to the curious and unexplained behavior.

"Caleb said you're her boyfriend or her husband. You told my boy to stay away from his sister or you'd give him trouble." Ray accused.

The older man looked at Romero like he was trash.

"Because Caleb has always looked after Norma Louise. He's always taken care of her." Ray said tersely.  
"We raised him with good values." Franny chimed in helpfully again.  
"So, you screwing my girl, Sheriff?" Ray asked. His voice gruff and angry.  
Romero smiled and remained silent.

Ray took this as the biggest insult of all. The older man waving a hand to his wife who pulled a newspaper clipping from the inside of her t-shirt. The article tucked in her bra strap for safe keeping. Ray unfolded it and dropped it on Alex's desk. There, in beautiful color, was the front page group shot from the halloween party. Norma and Alex were standing together as if they were meant to be. Their bodies closer than the other people in the picture. Norma's blue flapper dress still the most beautiful thing he's ever witnessed. Even if it was just seeing it in the newspaper picture.

"You know, it's not a good idea to harass a Sheriff." Romero said casually. As if on cue, Washington and another deputy let themselves into the office without warning.

"Sir, I need you to stand up." Washington said in a loud, authoritative voice.

Ray Calhoun's face twisted into a rage that impressed the Sheriff.

"Put your hands over your head." Washington ordered.

Romero, walked around his desk to help Washington handcuff the big man. Ray Calhoun, as predicted, was resisting arrest. It would eventually take the efforts of five deputies to subdue him and force him into cuffs. The older man shouting and using a verity of interesting racial slurs towards Romero and Washington and anyone else in the room.

Franny Calhoun wasn't nearly so difficult. She went willingly and happily with the deputy. She had even commented that she was glad she would get a shower, and was there a chance she could get her clothes washed to?

"Don't bother with the cell." Alex told Washington. Both men were out of breath from the arrest and Ray's violent resistance. "I'll call Sheriff Lewis in Emerson County. He can put Ozzy and Harriet there for thirty days."

"Right, Sheriff." Washington agreed. Again, Romero's most trusted deputy didn't need an explanation. He knew full well why the Sheriff didn't want them to spend thirty days in lock up in this county. It was still a small community. People talk all the time.

 **Thank you to everyone who was sending me warm thoughts during a hard day for me.**

 **My dad's funeral was today. It wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I am glad it's all over though. I'm glad the family came out and some of my dad's work friends, including his old boss. It was a very nice, very casual get together, which is what he would have wanted. My dad wasn't a fancy person and didn't like big ceremonies. After the service we went to his favorite pizza place and, since I had found his wallet yesterday, Dad paid. LOL. Which, was exactly what he wanted to. I even tipped our waiter really well. Just like he would have done.**

 **Now Dad's urn is home with me. My sister and I each have a small urn with his ashes in the shape of a heart. When my uncle passes, it was his and Dad's wish to have their ashes scattered in the very sacred place they played at as children. So they can be together again forever. So the big urn will be saved for when my uncle passes. I'm very glad my Dad's wishes will be honored. It's never easy losing a parent. I'm very thankful to my sister for looking after me, and Dad's best friend for being so protective of both of us.**

 **We are so very blessed to have people who honestly care for us. It's a blessing and a curse to love someone so much, the pain of losing them is unbearable at times.**


	73. Chapter 73

73.

~ Alex felt beaten when he arrived back at the farm. Seeing Norma's parents, where she had come from, had wounded him. It didn't hurt his image of her however. Norma was so different from her mother and father. Aside from mild physical traits and a rash temper, it was hard to conceive she'd come from those awful people. Alex couldn't see how she had become so different from her upbringing. Obviously it had been more difficult than she had led him to believe. He knew she'd most likely forced herself to be better. She had made the decision to change who she was, and this made her even more attractive. He knew from first hand experience how hard it was to not become the thing you hated most about yourself.

Alex always thought he'd had a hard childhood with the old bear and his mother being so tormented. It didn't really occur to him that, compared to Norma, he'd had it fairly easy. He'd always had the luxury of clean clothes, hot showers and never had to worry about things like food or where he would sleep that night. It must have been pure hell to live with Ray Calhoun.

Alex had no trouble believing Caleb when he said their father was the most violent man he'd ever met. That he had beaten his children badly enough to frighten them as adults.

Romero drove up the gravel drive to the farm house and was pleased to see the lights were on in the oncoming darkness of evening. It had been a long time since he'd seen the farm house from the outside like this. The home he'd grown up in had people inside. He knew that inside, the boys would be playing and that Norma would have undoubtedly kept busy doing something to calm her obsessive need to clean. He leaned over the seat and grabbed the grocery bag full of the things she had wanted.

When he unlocked the front door, Sheriff Romero was rewarded with the scene he had so easily pictured in his head. Dylan and Norman were at the kitchen table with his old legos being fitted into towers and various other designs. They had obviously been playing outside when a brief summer rain storm must have driven them back indoors. Their mother making them leave their little shoes, caked with mud, on the porch by the door. Norma was in the living room, attempting to get his mother's ancient vacuum to work.  
"I think it's broken, it's not taking anything up at all. I'll have to take it out and beat it." she sighed in mild annoyance when she heard him come in.

"The vacuum or the rug?" Alex asked innocently.

Her head snapped up and she gave him an amused look.

"The rug." she clarified.

Alex looked around the large room with it's spotless kitchen and living room.  
"Why am I not surprised to see you've cleaned?" he sighed.

"How could I not?" she accused. "You literally had a tool box on the kitchen counter and your old running shoes in the sink."  
"I told you I was renovating." Alex shrugged and started to put the groceries away.

"Yeah, I saw. I cleaned the bathroom you tore up to." she told him.

Alex quickly ducked down the hall to the old pink bathroom and saw she wasn't lying. She had swept and cleared away all the broken pink tile he had torn our weeks before, but had been too lazy to remove.

When he came back into the kitchen, he saw she was already pulling out clean pots from the drying rack. It seemed she didn't care for how he did his own dishes and cookware and felt the need to wash them again.

"Give me about twenty minutes." she said happily. Her well practiced hands setting water to boil on the old stove.

Alex felt that same sense of prideful happiness wash over him when he saw the lights on in the house. He wasn't used to feeling so at ease in this house. The feeling of oppression and sadness had melted away with Norma and the boys there. Like this house had never known the dysfunctional family that have lived with such tension and anger.

He turned to Dylan and Norman who were occupied with their intense work of building.

"I see you found my old legos." Alex said happily.

"It's not all they found." Norma said with that raised eyebrow again. She gave Alex a look that said he might be in trouble.

"It wasn't that bad, mom." Dylan insisted.

"Boys, I want you to clear off the table, we're going to eat soon." Norma told them. "Put everything back where you found it."

Dylan nodded and Alex helped them put all the pieces back into the big plastic box again.

As soon as they were down the hall, Alex turned to Norma.

"What did they find that was so bad? I don't keep guns in this house." he told her.

"That's good to know." Norma said with a sly smile. "But Dylan did find your old collection of old Playboys."

"Those weren't mine." Alex said automatically. His face flushing and his heart racing at the idea that Norma knew he enjoyed the female form.  
"Oh, I see. So someone must have broken in and hid them in your closet?" She asked. An amused smile was tugging at her lips.  
Alex thought about it for a few seconds.

"Yes." he said childishly.

"Alex!" she laughed. Suddenly, they was good again. It felt like everything was forgiven and made right by her laughter. A musical laughter that made him smile to.  
"Look, I'm sorry I forgot they were in there." he said. "It's literally been years."  
"He and Norman were looking through them when I walked in." she explained with a grin.  
"Well, he's at an age where he's curious."

"We never did give him the talk." Norma sighed.

"Actually, I did."

She turned to him in surprise. Alex shrugged.

"Right before…" he said awkwardly and her gaze fell. "We were out on the back porch and I talked to him about boys and girls."

"And?" she asked.

Alex grinned a little.  
"It seems his biology class has given him plenty of information about mating practices." he said.

"Mating practices?"

"Yeah, with animals." he explained.

"But not humans." she insisted. "I mean humans are a lot more complicated when it comes to these things."

"You're telling me."

Alex caught her eyes and she quickly looked away.  
He moved a little closer to her. Determined to feel the warmth she radiated.

"I think Dylan will be fine." he said gently. "I wasn't much older than he is now when my buddy stole those playboys from his dad."

"Do all men really like to look at naked women they don't know?" she asked.

"Yes." Alex responded immediately.

Norma looked mildly horrified and highly amused.

"We do." he insisted with a grin. "We can't help it."

He watched her cooking for a while. The two of them like old times, but with so many words unspoken.

"How have you been?" he asked at last. If felt like an awkward question and he told himself he was stupid for even asking it.

Norma seemed to agree. She turned and gave him an odd look.  
"I've been fine." she said with an easy smile.

"You look good. I mean, you changed your hair." he nodded. He wasn't sure if she did or not. It was always his failsafe for talking to a girl he hadn't seen in a while.

"Yeah, I cut it shorter for summer." she admitted and went back to her cooking.

"It's nice." he said.

They stood in silence for a while. A nagging need to know was eating him alive.

"So, are you really going to marry George?" he asked.

Norma turned around to face him.

"Is that why you brought me here?" she asked sharply. "Did you just make up my parents coming to look for me? All so you could bring me here to try to get back together?"

"No." Alex said in shock.  
"Why should I believe you? You've lied to me before." she told him. "You've lied to me when you didn't have to."

Alex rolled his eyes. Sometimes his tiger was a bit hard to handle.

"I think we both know I'm not devious enough to trick you like that. If I was, I would have planned it to be much more romantic." he reasoned.

"Yeah, you would have hidden the playboys better." she agreed.  
"Exactly."

"And cleaned up better."

"Hey."

"And stocked the fridge with real food."

"Don't take this out on my TV dinners."

"I threw them out."

"What?"

"Yup. They're gone. You'll thank me when you're almost fifty and never had a stroke." she said quickly.

Alex pushed the annoyance at her tossing out his frozen food aside. She waited for him to say something that was obviously important.

"Norma, I have the tapes of your parents visiting Caleb in prison." he said carefully. "They're in the truck if you want to see-"

"No." she interrupted. Alex saw her eyes were wide with fear. She looked uncharacteristically helpless and frightened. "No. I don't want to see them."

"Okay." he whispered. "No problem."

"I don't want to see them." she said again and looked like she might run and hide. Tears were pooling in her eyes again, and he remembered the fragile little girl with the dirty face in Caleb's photo collection.

"It's okay. You don't have to see them." he said gently. His hands reaching our for her like he was trying to coax a frightened puppy to him.

It was like a dream when she let him pull her into him. Her arms were stubbornly crossed over her chest in a gesture of self protection, but she still let him hold her.

"You saw them?" she whimpered. Her voice shaking and she sounded ready to cry. "You saw my parents?"  
"I did." he admitted. He questioned whether or not it was wise to tell her the entire truth. "They came by my office today after I brought you and the boys here."

As expected, she pulled away from him. Her face looking so defeated and terrified.

"It's going to be fine. Your old man was being a little too colorful, so I had him thrown in lock up in Emerson County." he said casually.

"You arrested Ray?" she said in disbelief. Her face looking almost horrified. "What did he do? Did he hurt you?"  
"He's not going to hurt me." Alex said. He wanted her to feel like the very idea was laughable. "When you harass and belittle the Sheriff in his own office, you get arrested, Norma."

"You arrested him? Handcuffs and everything?"

"Handcuffs, jail cell, wagon to take him to the next county for thirty days. I didn't want him to stay here. Not with the way he was acting. I guess I owe Sheriff Lewis a favor." Alex sighed.

"What… what did they look like? Did they say anything? Did they ask about me?" she asked.

Alex decided it was best to lie to her about how disgusting he found them to be.

"They looked good. Your mom seemed very nice. They wanted to see you. See the boys. I told them you moved away after Caleb's arrest. Your dad had some choice words for me for arresting your brother. That's why he was arrested." Alex lied. It was easier to lie when it didn't to hurt her. A lie to make her feel better about something so awful from her past, was much easier.

Norma nodded. Her expression withdrawn and still worried.

"Tomorrow morning, I'm going to have a judge issue a restraining order against your parents. I'll put it in my name so they won't know it involves you. They will be required to stay a thousand feet from the sheriff's station and this property. They won't come back to this town, Norma." he promised.  
"A restringing order is just a piece of paper, Alex." she whispered.  
"Yeah and if they violate it, they will go to jail for a lot longer than thirty days." he said confidently.

Norma looked sullen and unconvinced this could be the end of her troubles.

"So, they didn't say anything about me?" she asked.

"Just that they wanted to see you. You never have to see them if you don't want to." Alex said. He glanced down the hall to make sure they were alone. "Frankly, I don't want you or the boys anywhere near them. No offense, but your dad really pisses me off."

Norma started laughing. Her giggle was a welcome reprieve form that beautiful face being so sad all the time.  
"I don't know what's worse, you arresting members of my family, or the fact I like it so much." she admitted.  
"It feels good doesn't it?" he teased. "Some people pay a lot of money for that kinda of family therapy."

She was smiling now and leaned her head on his shoulders. As much as he loved her body nestled perfectly into his, Alex couldn't ignore the elephant in the room.  
"Does George know where you are?" he asked. Norma leaned away from him. Her fingers threading together as if in prayer.

"I called him as soon as you left." she said. "Told him Norman wasn't feeling well. That Dylan and I were going to take him back to Portland. Told him we'd stay the night while he's under observation."

"He didn't question that?" Alex asked. Romero would have gone to Portland with the woman he was going to marry. He would have ensured his future step-son was alright and that his future wife didn't have to be alone.

Norma shrugged.

"George thought it was a good idea." she admitted. "Norman's been having more episodes lately and the medication doesn't seem to help."

"What did his doctor say?"

"To keep him calm. To give him a routine. He changed up his medication a little." she looked annoyed with herself. "Personally, I think he watches too much TV. I think that causes it."

Alex nodded.  
"Well, this TV has been broken for years." he turned to the ancient set that had been a wedding present to his parents when it was new.

"I know." she grinned. "The boys were not happy."

"It's summer. They should be outside playing with sticks and rocks and-"

"Finding old copies of Playboy." Norma added.

Alex grinned.  
"Yeah, that to." he said. "Please tell me you didn't throw them away."

"Of course not." she sighed.

Alex watched as she neatly pirouetted and went back to the stove. The pasta was almost done and she had already started on the sauce and chicken.

"I can't be too mad at you. All those girls you had folded back looked like me." she shrugged.

 **Thank you for all your loving words of encouragement. I'm doing okay.**


	74. Chapter 74

74.

~ Alex had missed Norma's cooking so much, he wondered how he'd managed to stay alive all these months without her feeding him. He felt better the instant he started eating the pasta dish she had prepared for them. It wasn't just the food he had been deprived of. Dinner at a table with Norma and the two boys comforted him in a way he didn't realize he had missed.

The two children seemed different in just the few hours they had been there. The fresh air had done Dylan and Norman some good. Even a few hours playing outside, had brightened Dylan's complexion and given Norman a more focused attitude. Both the boys hair was uncombed and their clothing showing evidence of being careless about paying in the dirt and grass.  
Alex and Norma listened as Dylan told them about the play fort they had found on the edge of the property. How it was their hideout and no one but the two brothers were allowed in.  
"So I can't go there?" Norma asked with an animated sadness.

"No, it's brothers only." Dylan insisted. His face completely serious.

"Alright." she sighed with pretend disappointment.

"Do I still have to go to summer camp?" Dylan asked.

Norma looked uneasy about the question.  
"It's already paid for. You're going to have a great time." she told him. She obviously wanted to sell him on the idea of going away that summer.

"I don't want to go to camp. I want to stay here." he insisted.

Alex wasn't sure about his place in this conversation. He glanced at Norman who looked equally unsure. The younger child was clearly worried about the potential for a fight between the two most important people in his world.

"We're only staying here for a little while, Dylan." she told her oldest. "Not all summer."

"Will you still marry George?" her oldest asked. "Now that we're all together again?"

Norma looked offended by her child's remark.  
"Eat your dinner before it gets cold." she told him in a harsh tone.

~ After dinner, both boys were sleepy enough from their play that they didn't protest to a bath or bedtime. They were even content to share the full sized bed in Alex's old room.

Norma, as was her habit, resolved any annoyance with housework and keeping things spotless. Lucky of her, Alex was a less than diligent housekeeper, so she had a lot to keep her occupied. She was busy in the kitchen cleaning anything with the slightest trace of being dirty. Trying to work out her frustrations with the one thing she had control over.

Romero had taken the initiative to make sure the boys were alright in the strange surroundings for the night.  
"This was my room when I was little." he told Dylan after he turned on an old nightlight for them.

Norman was already half asleep next to his big brother. Dylan still looked troubled at the prospect of going home and eventually to the dreaded summer camp.

Romero went and sat on the edge of his old bed. He was ready to listen to what the child needed to say.

"Did you like living here?" he asked.

"When I was your age I did." Alex told him truthfully.

"With no TV? What did you do?"

Alex grinned.

"My friends and I would all play outside. We'd go play in the woods all day." he explained.

"What did you play?"

"Robin Hood or King Arthur." Alex admitted. "We liked pretending to be outlaws. My friends always made me the Sheriff of Nottingham because my dad was the Sheriff."

"Now you're the Sheriff." Dylan reminded him.

"Yes." Alex sighed. "That's true."

"If you have a little boy someday, will he be bullied for being the Sheriff's son?" Dylan asked sadly.  
"I don't know. It's not easy sometimes to have to put people in jail. Even if they deserve it. Sometimes people get mad if you arrest their dad or someone they care about." Alex explained.

"Is that why you were bullied?" Dylan asked.  
"Sometimes."

"If you have a little boy someday, I'll make sure he doesn't get bullied. I'll make sure no one is mean to him."

Alex smiled at the child's beautiful honesty and kindness.

"I'd appreciate that, Dylan." he told him.  
"When I get back from that stupid place, she'll already be married to that guy." Dylan explained without Alex asking.  
"Is that why you don't want to go?" he asked.

"I don't wan to go because Christine said it was a good idea to send me to a camp out of state. She said newlyweds need time alone. That I need to go to a boarding school so I won't be in the way. George and Norma just agreed with her." he said sadly.  
"Hey, what did I tell you about calling your mother by her first name?" Alex said harshly.

"Not to."

"That's right."

"Why can't you marry mom?" Dylan asked petulantly. "I thought you would. I thought we'd be a family. That we'd all live together. That we would belong to you and we would be the Sheriff's kids."

"Dylan, you know… things change." Alex explained with some difficulty.

"They want to get rid of me." Dylan confessed. "George and Christine don't like me. They want me to go away forever."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"I'm never allowed to be alone with mom. They always want to be there when I talk to her. George doesn't like it when Mom is with us and not him. It's like we're not allowed to be around her anymore." Dylan explained.

Alex took a deep breath and wished he'd never acted so rashly in breaking up with Norma. Wished he could have figured out another way to protect her. Their plight seemed bigger than the two of them. It was out of his control.

"I'm sorry." he said at last to Dylan.

"I missed you." the child said in a soft voice that broke Alex's heart.

"I missed you to." Alex told him honestly. "I missed you and your brother and your mom."

"If you're really nice to her, I think she'll marry you instead of George." Dylan offered.

"It's not that simple." Alex told him.  
"I was really nice to my lab partner in science class and she let me kiss her during recess." Dylan told him.

"Oh yeah?" Alex laughed.

Dylan nodded happily.

"I shared my textbook with her because she's new and didn't have one yet. Then I told her about the different things we've been learning about. That I would help her if she needed it and I shared my colored pencils with her. She said I'm nice and that I can be her boyfriend." he explained. "Then she let kiss her on the playground."

"I see." Romero nodded. "When was this?"

"Day before yesterday." Dylan told him. "I think I might break up with her though. She likes this other boy in our class to."

"How long has she liked the other boy?"

"Since yesterday."

"Yesterday? Boy, things happen fast when your young." Alex grinned.

"Did you have girlfriends when you were my age?" Dylan asked.  
"No." Alex told him with a smile. "No, I wasn't able to charm the ladies as well as you do."

"If you're nice to them and help them, they'll be your girlfriend." Dylan offered.

"That's very good advice." Romero agreed.

"Do you still love mom?" Dylan asked curiously.

Alex looked away. It felt like the room was closing in around him.

"Goodnight, son." he said and stood to leave.

~ Just as he suspected, Norma was busy in some all consuming domestic chore when he left the boys room. She had made up a bed on the couch with what looked like freshly laundered sheets.  
She took a break cleaning the old fridge with baking soda and vinegar to notice he was in the room. "I made up the couch for you."

Alex looked at her skeptically. He had planned to spend the night at his rental house in town. It would defiantly be too awkward to to stay overnight with Norma. Even if this was his house.

"I cleaned up the master bedroom." she told him when he looked skeptical. "I'll stay in there."

Alex glanced at the open door to his mother's old bedroom. After her death, he had quickly dismantled her bed and packed everything up. That room like the other bedrooms had become a wasteland of boxes and furniture covered in sheets. Norma, in her furry, had reassembled the bed and moved it to the other side of the room. She had even put the table lamps in different places and the new lighting gave the old room an entirely different look.

"You **have** been busy." he said. He wasn't sure about the idea of her sleeping in the bed his mother died in, and decided not to mention it to her.

"I cannot believe Dylan sometimes." Norma said. Ignoring the compliment Romero tried to give her. "You know he calls me Norma sometimes? I mean, it's so hateful. I don't know what happened. He was doing so well before."

"I know. I've already talked to him about it and it's not going to happen again." Alex assured her.

"You did?" Norma asked hopefully.

"Of course I did. You know I wouldn't let him keep doing that."

"Thank you, Alex." she sighed in weary gratitude and threw the scrubbing brush into the sink. Clearly her cleaning was done for the day.  
"I haven't seen the house this clean since before my mom passed." he admitted honestly.

Norma seemed pleased with the compliment.

"Why did you demolish the bathroom? All that pink tile? I bet it was really pretty." she asked.

"Because it had pink tile that was really pretty." he explained.

"Oh, I see." Norma teased. A smile brighting her face and making her eyes shine. "Sheriff Romero is too macho to use the pink bathroom?"

"Yes. He is. Although I will admit it was pretty brilliant of my grandmother to install it in the first place. She was guaranteeing the men in the house wouldn't use her bathroom."

"That is clever." she admitted. "I'll have to keep that trick in mind."

She peeled off the yellow rubber gloves she'd used to scrub down the kitchen with and turned back to him.

"What did you tell Dylan?" she asked. "About calling me Norma?"

"That no one will respect a man who isn't good to his mother." Alex said honestly.

Norma nodded and looked sad.  
"He's just been so angry these past few months." she sighed. Her posture slumping and her face becoming sad again. Alex found himself by her side, not able to hold her like he wanted when she needed comfort. The ghost of their former life together still hung between them. The fact she was getting married to another man was the unspoken elephant in the room.

"It's a change in his home life. It happens to a lot of kids. He just doesn't know how to express himself."

Norma took advantage of his proximity and leaned her body into his with ease. Alex was hesitant to wrap his arms around her again. She had said they weren't together, but that she still loved him. Against his brains commands, his hands moved up her back, pulling her closer to him.

"I'm so worried about him. He's talking back, wanting to be alone and on the computer. He was having these terrible outbursts of anger. He hasn't been like that since before we came here. I can just see him becoming this angry young man."

Unsure of what to say, Alex's fingers reached the back of her head just as she rested her cheek on his shoulder.

"It's been a lot to deal with." he said at last. He wondered why she wasn't blaming him for Dylan's anger issues. Alex felt sure they had started and intensified because he had left them. If Romero had stayed, married Norma and been there, Dylan would be fine. Norman wouldn't have had more seizures and there wouldn't be this specter of betrayal hanging between them now.

"I'm sorry, Norma." he breathed and allowed her body to rest against his.


	75. Chapter 75

75.

~ Somehow, as easy as it was to breathe, Norma found herself curled on Alex's lap. The two of them comfortably settled on the old recliner in the living room. Her head resting on his shoulder and her legs draped over his knees. Romero's arms, forever capable, held her securely with him in a chair meant for one person.

She felt herself relaxing the instant she was in his arms again. All her worries and anxieties melting away with Alex back in her life.

Norma lifted her head and looked sleepily around the peaceful living room. A summer rainstorm had kicked up, and the sound of the water hitting the roof was soothing and hypnotic in this older home.

"How long have I been asleep?" she asked wearily. She felt Alex's lips on her forehead and his hand moving up her thigh.

"About half an hour." he whispered. "I didn't want to wake you up. You were really tired."

She laid her head back on his shoulder and felt the need to go back to sleep again.

"We can't keep doing this." she said with a sigh.

"Doing what?" he asked innocently. His lips brushing over her forehead again.

"This." she groaned. "This thing we keep doing where it's so easy to be together again. We're just making it harder on ourselves."

She felt his other hand going to the back of her head, felt his fingers caressing her hair. The fact he was silent made the air feel oppressive with the things they needed to say.

"Was it because we were afraid there might be a baby?" she whispered. "Was that why you wanted to leave?"

Alex tensed and his lips were on her forehead again.

"No. Not at all." he whispered back to her. "I had been shot. I was scared someone would come after me. I couldn't do that to you."

"So you thought it was better to just leave us? To make me hate you?"

His body went tense again and she could feel his frustration in the way his breathing changed.

"What if you or the boys were hurt? Sometimes bad people like to hurt the family of law enforcement." he explained.

She raised her head up and looked at him. His eyes meet hers and she saw the worry and sadness that lived there as if for the first time.  
"We're your family?" she asked.

Without hesitation, he leaned into her, his lips feeling soft and perfect when they made contact. She has missed being kissed this way. The feel of another persons lips touching hers with just enough pressure and guidance to make her feel at ease and start to feel aroused.

Her skin prickled with warmth and her pulse picked up speed as Alex moved with her in perfect sync.

It was never like this with George. Her future husband wasn't skilled at the simple art of kissing. He had tried, Norma had to give him credit for that, but it had always been an off-putting disaster when he tried to do what Alex did so well and so effortlessly.

Romero allowed her to catch her breath after what felt like an eternity at these dizzying heights. He didn't allow her much of a rest, however, his lips gently nipping hers while she tried to catch her breath and make the world stop spinning.

"What are we doing?" she whimpered.

"What you wanted to do." he challenged her.

"Alex." she whispered before his lips attacked her again. This time, he was without his normal mercy and his affection was almost savage. Her skin was burning when she felt his hand wander up her skirt and feel at the lace of her underwear. He refused to let her go, refused to stop his attack that was so beautiful and wanted.

Without warning, Alex pushed her away, making her body slide off his lap with an almost rude rebuff. She was on her feet in a second, certain he would tell her not to play games with him. After all, she had just told him a few hours ago that they weren't together. She had meant it at the time, but being here, had changed things for her. She didn't have long to wonder about why he had cast her off, he was standing in an instant and his hands were pulling her to him, his arms reaching behind her back and under her knees before she could protest.

It was always a welcome surprise to be reminded how strong he was, how he lifted her up with such ease it did nothing to stop her feeling light headed. Norma clung fast to him, her arms wrapping around his shoulders and her hand running over his hair. She burrowed her face in his neck as he walked quickly and easily to the large bedroom she had set up that afternoon.

Alex crossed over the threshold, kicked the door closed and neatly deposited her on her feet again. Without a word, he began undressing her as though he had always had the right to do so. As though this privilege was his and his alone.

He didn't hesitate when he pulled down her dress and began to kiss her neck. He didn't wait for her permission, just listened to her body language as she tugged open his shirt. His kiss never abandoned her while they undressed each other. Their bodies eager to be reunited again and to remember how perfect they had been together. How their movements were like dancing and how they had lost step without each other.

~ Norma wasn't sure how such a thing had happened so easily, just that it felt normal to be with him again. She lay next to Alex, the summer air making the house feel warm enough to not need coverings. Their bodies delightfully exposed to the darkness and moonlight shinning through the windows.

The rain had stopped, but she could hear the rumble of another storm coming after them. It might be here by morning, or maybe pass them by. Alex hadn't fallen asleep, but they were both in danger of drifting off in the ocean of contentment and feeling of safety.

"I'm not sorry." Alex said stubbornly. He looked back at her with a sober expression that didn't beg for forgiveness and showed no remorse at all. "About what just happened."

"Yeah, well, me either." she said quickly.

She couldn't stop the feeling of awkwardness that creeped over her. She wished she had a sheet or something to cover up with. The two of them were shamelessly naked together as though they did this everyday.

"What are you going to tell George?" Alex asked. He rolled on his side and Norma felt his hand on her hip, always pulling her towards him.

"What am I going to tell him?" Norma asked. "Nothing."

"You're just going to leave him?"

"No."

In the pale moonlight, she saw him blink as though he'd been slapped in the face.

"What about… what about this?" he asked. "Us?"

"Alex, there is no us." Norma said weakly and ran a hand over her hair. "I mean, there can't be an us anymore. What did you think? We would be your secret family? That we would just hide out here at the farm and no one would know?"

She looked back at him and saw his face had fallen. His jaw clenching shut and moving slightly with repressed anger.

"Why did you lie to me before? I know it was to protect us, but from what? Who are you so afraid of you were willing to throw away everything we've built together?" she asked. Her voice trembling slightly at her own audacity to ask him such a thing. Despite being satiated and relaxed, Alex Romero looked angry.

He remained silent. His gazed fixing only on the curve of her exposed hip as his fingers traced up her shoulder.

"Because I always thought we had something. I thought we had something other people didn't have." she explained sadly. "I trusted you. I still trust you more than anyone on this earth. I never loved anyone as perfectly I as loved you then."

"Then?" he challenged.

"You didn't feel it?" she asked weakly. Tears were swimming in her eyes at the memory of how she'd loved him and how it broke her when he left. "You didn't feel it fracture when you said those things?"

"Of course I felt it." he admitted with a whisper.

"Tell me why you had to leave us. Why you had to break my heart." she demanded.

"It's not just my life, Norma." he said sadly. "It's not just me or you this time."

"Do you mean the boys?" she asked.

"No." He shook his head in frustration. "No, it's things I can't tell you about because they were mistakes I've made. Things that I've done that the wrong people know about. If they were to come out, if anyone else knew…" he shook his head and looked on the verge of tears.

"After everything I've told you about my family?" Norma questioned. She had exposed not just her heart and her body to this man, but all of her dark and most disturbing secrets to him as well. He knew things about her that no one else did. Things if he decided to, would make her the subject of horrible gossip in town.

"You didn't tell me everything, Norma." Alex accused dryly.

"What haven't I told you?" she almost choked from emotion. "You saw my parents, my brother. You know what he did to me. You know what kind of a life I came from. You're the only person who knows everything. You're the only person I've ever loved enough to not want to hide things from."

She waited while Romero looked up at the ceiling and said nothing. She saw his jaw clench shut again as if he were in deep thought.

"Alex?" she questioned.

"You didn't tell me the truth about Dylan." he admitted sadly. "You didn't have to, and I understand why."

"What about Dylan?" she almost barked. Her heart was racing and she felt even more exposed than she was in physical form. He knew. Alex knew the ugliness that was now her beautiful son. He knew where he came from, how he was conceived and there was no way she could deny it anymore.

Alex looked back at the ceiling and took another deep breath.

"Dylan. Who his real father is. We both know it's not John Massett. I pulled up the DMV records and saw his picture. They look nothing alike, Norma." he explained.

"Well… Dylan's always looked like me." she said uncomfortably.

"No." he said. "after what you told me about Caleb, what he did to you, I saw it. I finally saw it."

"No, you're wrong." Norma said quickly.

"It's not your fault." he whispered.

"No. Stop it."

"You didn't tell me and I can understand why. It must have been hard. We all have secrets we need to protect at all costs."

"Dylan… he's not what you're thinking. It's not true."

Alex closed his eyes and turned to look at her sadly.

"Caleb is his father. You know it and I know it." he said sadly. "I don't think less of you or him because of how he came into this world."

Norma blinked and tears fell out of her eyes.

"So, now you can understand why I have to keep some secrets. Even from you, Norma. As much as I love you, as much as I want to be with you, there are secrets that are bigger than just me." he explained. "Just like there are secrets that are bigger than you. Secrets that could hurt the ones we love the most."

"No, it's not true." she slid out of bed and her feet hit the wood floors making them creak.

"Norma?" he questioned and reached for her. She moved too quickly and found her dress and underthings in the darkness. She quickly pulled her panties back on and was slipping her dress over her head before he had gotten out of bed.

"What are you doing? Where are you going?" he asked.

"I'm going home." she said harshly. "You put my parents in lock up. They'll be in jail for thirty days. There's no reason for me to stay here."

"Norma!" he called to her. Her lover pulling on pants before she could finish dressing. She flung open the door and went to get the boys.  
"Norma, it's one in the morning." Alex said and followed her into the living room.

Norma turned on him and felt the rage inside her boil over.

"Why would you say such a thing to me?" she cried. Her voice low so that boys wouldn't hear her from the next room. "It's not true. What you think... it not true."

"Why did you never ask for child support after you and John Massett divorced?" he asked.

Norma felt like she'd been slapped in the face.

"I want to go home." she said. She wanted to be away from Alex. Away from this idyllic life that she could have here.

"Norma." Alex said soothingly.

"Just take me home!" she cried.

 **I forgot to comment aout Rihanna joining Bates Motel Season 5. I mean, they have such a powerful and talented cast, I feel like Rihanna coming in will ruin the momentum. I wasn't a fan of "Battleship", but that's not the best movie either and it wasn't her fault. I honestly hope I'm wrong and that she brings it. I was wrong about Lady Ga Ga in AHS Hotel. I would have preferred a very talented no name actress to come in. I just feel this is wanting to be a ratings boost. If Bates Motel wanted to boost their ratings, why not give us more Normero? More sexy time and more Norman in Pine View working on his issues? For at LEAST another five episodes.**


	76. Chapter 76

76.

~ Alex hated the way her face looked when she was on the verge of tears. It always hurt worse when he was the cause of her misery. He regretted saying anything to her about Dylan and the truth he suspected about his paternity. He had made things worse by breaking her fragile world of lies and denial.

"I'm sorry." he said quickly. "Norma, please. Come back to bed."

She shook her head, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Norma." he pleaded.

"No," she whimpered. "I don't know what you think… why would you... would you even think that?"

"I'm sorry. I'm not going to say anything to anyone. Why would I?"

"Because it's not true!" Norma hissed.

"Okay." he said gently. That feeling of trying to coax a wild animal to him was back. That her claws were out and her teeth bared and ready to bite.

"Okay, I was wrong, it's not true." he said.

"I want to go home." she cried softly.  
"I'll take you home in the morning." he whispered. "Lets' just go back to bed now. We don't want to wake the boys up. It's really late and we don't want all this stress to trigger one of Norman's seizures."

Norma looked divided on whether or not to make as dramatic an exit out of this house as possible, or leave peacefully in the morning.

"Let's go back to bed." he coaxed again. He stepped to her and his hands fell on her waist again. He loved the way her body felt. He couldn't believe how long he had suffered without touching her.

Gravity did it's work again and he was being pulled to her. Norma backing away from his advancement as though it were all apart of the dance they continually did so well together. Her back was to the wall and Romero closed in on her as though she were his only prey.  
"I hate you." she moaned and started to cry.

Alex ignored the insult. Her anger at him was perfectly justified and it didn't wound him. On the contrary, he was glad she was finally expressing how she really felt now. He leaned closer to her and she tried to push him away.

"I hate you!" she hissed in a fierce whisper.

She reached up to slap him across the face and only succeeded in Romero grabbing ahold of her hands and pushing them against the wall. Her body, slender and beautiful, was no match for him in physical strength. He easily held her in place against the wall.  
"Don't." she sobbed pitifully.

Alex was leaning his face to her. His lips kissing her chin and cheek.  
"Don't." she cried again. Her voice so fragile and broken as she begged for him to let her go.

"I'm just kissing you." he whispered and his lips were gentle on her cheek. "I'm only kissing you."

"Let me go." her whisper matched his and he tasted the salt of her tears when he kissed her lips.

"I've kissed you a thousand times, Norma." he said. "I'm only kissing you."

He released her hands and she stayed where she was. His own hands moving to her face as he willfully defied her pleas to stop.

"I hate you." she moaned again. "You showcase this life with you in front of me, like it's something real. Then you rip it all away."

"It's real." he promised huskily. "Norma, it can be real."

"Until you decide it's too dangerous to keep me around." she cried softly.

"No." he breathed and his lips moved over her chin and kissed her gently on the other cheek.

"I can't do this again." she sighed. "Don't make me do this again. I can't fall in love with you again and have you hurt me."

She pulled away from him and he let her leave. The warmth of her body leaving with her and Romero felt a coldness touch his skin upon her absence.

"Don't touch me again." she warned him and retreated to the bedroom, shutting the door behind her.

~ Norma collapsed back into bed, without taking her dress off. She felt very tired from all the anger that was now starting to settle inside her stomach. She wasn't angry at Alex, not really. He had spoken the truth and she just couldn't admit it. It was such a horrible, ugly truth and she could barely face it.

She pulled the rouge blankets up over her body and curled into a ball. Her memories playing over the past that wasn't that long ago. How Caleb had pushed himself into her, over and over, everyday for years. Then when she missed her period, she'd become so frightened, she'd immediately given herself over to the boyfriend she didn't even like. All so she could make him think the baby was his. It had been devious and cruel, but it was also her only way out. John had eloped with her and her son had a last name. Almost immediately, John had suspected something wasn't right about their son. Dylan had blond hair where John had black. Dylan's eyes were the same as Norma's where John's eyes were brown. Her new husband wasn't fooled for long and accused her of being unfaithful and of trapping him. A claim Norma couldn't deny.

They fought endlessly, the baby bearing the brunt of their abuse to one another. Finally, out of sheer survival, Norma found herself in the arms and bed of Sam Bates. A smooth talking sales man who promised her everything she wanted and delivered nothing but more heartache.

As if freed, John had cut all ties with Norma and Dylan. He claimed she was unfaithful and Dylan wasn't his. That any judge would look at the toddle and agree. He told her not to ask for child support and she didn't.

She was soon married to Sam when the divorce from John was final. Soon pregnant with Norman when Dylan was old enough to understand how unloved he truly was.

Now, it was like she hadn't learned her lesson at all. No sooner was Sam dead than she was with Alex. She had almost gotten pregnant by him, which would have been a disaster worthy of a Greek tragedy. She had easily moved onto George when Alex abandoned them. Why didn't she follow her own advice and stay single? Why did she have to always have someone? Someone to abuse her and then cast her aside?

Maybe there was no escape. Not really. Her father, her brother, John, Sam… did it really matter anymore who hurt her?

Norma heard the bedroom door creek open and the floorboards groaning from someone walking over them.

She felt the mattress sag and move with the weight of a body and smelled the district smell of Alex when he moved closer to her. He spooned against her and she felt a shiver of delight spark her blood when his breath hit skin.

"I'm not giving you up." he whispered in her ear. His arms moving around her and pulling her close. "Not again."

Norma cried then, really cried. She wept over the shame of what her brother had done to her, was now a walking and talking person. Her son was beautiful and she loved him, but she could never escape the truth.

"Dylan is Caleb's son." she whispered. She closed her eyes tightly against speaking the truth.

"It's okay." he whispered in her ear. She felt relief wash over her. Felt the pain in her stomach untwist when he held her close and kissed her.

"He's here." she sniffed. "And he's a miracle."

"He certainly is."

"I'm sorry I kept it from you."

"Don't be. No one else would understand and no one else needs to know." he assured her protectively.

He kissed her neck and she felt her breathing relax.

"It's why I can't see my family. Why they can't see Dylan. They would know. They would know who he really belongs to." she explained.  
"Norma, Caleb is in prison for murder and your parents will never see Dylan. I promise." Alex said. "I think maybe it is a good idea for him to go to camp. Give us time for me to run them out of town for good."

His tone had become darker and she felt happy at the idea of her lover, strong and brave, frightening the monster that was her father.

She rolled over and saw his face in the moonlight. Alex looked angry, but his gaze softened when they made eye contact.

"My senior year of high school, just a few weeks before graduation, my girlfriend went missing." he said suddenly.

Norma felt her curiosity peak at the change of conversation. He sounded serious. He needed her to hear every word and understand that they were important.

He looked upset and unsure about going on.

"Her name was Juliet. I loved her. We were going to run away and get married as soon as we graduated, but then she was gone." he confessed. "The FBI became involved and wrote it up as a kidnapping. Her father cooked meth and there was a rival dealer in the area who knew how to hurt him. She was declared dead a year after she went missing. I told the FBI the last time I saw her was walking down the road to her house, but that was a lie."

Norma almost stopped breathing. Alex looked away, then back at her again.

"When was the last time you saw her?" Norma asked.

Alex blinked.

"The last time I saw her…" he said slowly. "Was when Bob Paris and I were digging her grave."

~ Alex woke up to the smells of breakfast being cooked. He rolled over and wished that Norma wasn't such and early riser. After their late night confessions, he'd made love to her again and fallen into to a dreamless void where there were no memories at all.

Waking to the smell of bacon and eggs cooking roused him better than any alarm clock and he found it hard to go back to sleep when there was a decent meal waiting for him. He had to get himself dressed first and wished he'd thought ahead to bring a change of clothes to the farm. It would look odd if the boys saw him in his now wrinkled uniform coming out of the only other bedroom. Romero reasoned they might expect it by now.

He dressed and emerged from the master bedroom to find Norma at the large stove, the burners all occupied with skillets of bacon, eggs, hash browns and even pancakes.

"Good morning." he said and Norma turned around with a radiant smile.

"Good morning." she said happily. "I made us breakfast."

"I see." he said and thought it was too much food, even by Norma's standards of feeding them.

"The boys went outside as soon as the sun was up." she told him. "Breakfast is almost ready and I'm not sure where they ran off to."

Alex casually walked out onto the back porch and shouted loudly enough to scare the birds out of a nearby tree.

"BOYS! GET IN HERE! BREAKFAST IS READY!"

When he went back back inside, Norma was looking at him in shock that he had resorted to such an archaic form of communication.

"They'll be right in." he said casually.

"I keep forgetting we're on a farm." Norma reasoned while Alex took a seat at the head of the table and she prepared a plate for him.

Sure enough, Dylan was bounding up the back porch with Norman desperately trying to keep up. Both of them were covered in scratches from what looked like wild thorn bushes that grew unchecked around the property.

"What have you two been into?" Norma gasped when she saw the boys looked shredded and bloodied.

"Playing." Dylan said out of breath.  
"Playing." Norman agreed happily with his big brother.  
"Wash up before you sit down." Alex ordered before Norma had the chance to mother them too much.

She glared at him and he smiled.  
"I had plenty of scratches from those bushes in my day. A lot worse than those." he told her. "They'll be fine."

"Owe!" Norman cried loudly when Dylan helped his younger brother with wash his hands and the soap no doubt got into the cuts.

"Don't be a baby." Dylan scolded.

Norma took the opportunity to glare at Romero. Alex innocently ate his bacon and shrugged.

"What did I do?" he asked.

The boys returned to the table and eagerly went to work eating breakfast. Norma was pleased to watch the men in her life enjoying the food she had made with such vigor. Her boys no doubt hungry after playing all morning in the outdoors, Alex needing refusing after… well, he'd been busy last night to.

"Boys I have to go to town for a few things, but when I get back, we're going to clean out Sheriff Wilson's boat." Alex told them.  
"Are we going to go out on the bay?" Dylan asked.  
"Not till we get the boat cleaned out." Alex told them.  
"You have it here?" Dylan asked and Romero nodded.

Norma smiled at how delighted her oldest was.

"It's in the barn next to Lucy." Alex told them.  
"Lucy!" Norman chimed in helpfully.  
"Sheriff Wilson gave it to him after he died." Dylan told his younger brother.

"That's right and we have to keep it nice." Romero said.

"Boys, I need to put medicine on those cuts of yours." Norma told them. "I don't want them to get infected."

"It's going to sting?" Dylan asked.

"Yes." Alex said. "Teach you to stay away from those bushes."

"We were playing army men." Dylan explained. "We were running and hiding from the Nazis."

"We don't run and hide from Nazis, Dylan." Romero told him and Norma couldn't stop the bubble of laughter that escaped.

~ Alex returned to the farm an hour later with a clean change of clothing and an over night bag so he wouldn't have to leave again. Norma watched him wrangle the boys into the honest labor of Dylan and Norman hauling trash bags to the edge of the front gate. The bags seemed too heavy for the young children to do alone, but she resisted the urge to help them. Instead, she watched them pulling trash bags with all their might while Alex tossed out more from the living area of the boat Wilson had left him. She thought it must be a real mess inside for it to require so much work.

Still, she had to admit, it would be nice to go on the bay again soon. When Alex was done with cleaning, the heat of the day having gotten to him, he went back inside to find Norma had started work on lunch.

"I guess your off today, Sheriff." she said without looking around.

"Pretty convenient, hugh?" he asked and grabbed her from behind.  
"Oh you're all sweaty!" she cried in disgust.  
"And stinky!" he teased and tried to kiss her.  
"Go take a shower and don't think of touching me again until you do." she ordered ducking away from him.  
"You know you're really sweaty and stinky to. Maybe you need to take a shower." he offered playfully.  
"No!" Norma ordered raising a large butcher knife she was using to cut up sandwiches.

Alex raised his hands up in surrender.  
"I could have you arrested for threatening a Sheriff." he warned with a mischievous grin.

"I could have **you** arrested for child labor." she countered. The butcher's knife looking particularly menacing in her hands.

Alex decided to torment his tiger a little more.

"Alex!" she cried when he expertly restrained her knife wielding hand to one side.

He leaned down and kissed her, both her hands successfully subdued behind her back. His tiger's blue eyes, as beautiful as the summer sky above, shone with defiant happiness.

"I love you." he whispered before kissing her. He made sure to press his body, drenched with sweat and smelling foul from the labor of cleaning out the boat, against her. Another way he annoyed his tiger.

"I love you to but you better got take a shower before I figure out how to kill you and get away with it." she growled.

Alex grinned happily.

"The boys are playing." he reminded her. "I found my old bike and tricycle in the barn. It'll keep them occupied for hours."

He started to pull her to him, Norma trying to playfully pull away.  
"Alex!" she protested with a grin.

"We both need a shower now." he insisted.

"I don't think so!" Norma practically shouted and tried not to laugh.

It was amusing to him that she even tried to break free of him holding her in place. She was a fearsome woman at times, but no match for him physically.

"Alex!" she cried pitifully when she realized she couldn't overpower him.

"Mother?" came a soft, worried voice.

Alex turned around and saw little Norman, his face pulled into a frown and his large blue eyes swimming with tears as he watched them. He turned back to see Norma and understood what had upset the little boy so much.

Norma was still holding the large butcher knife in her hand and to the eyes of a child, it must have looked like Alex was hurting her and she was trying to defend herself.

"Mother!" Norman cried again.

 **Been a crazy busy day for me. Been keeping busy being an adult and doing adult things like figuring out mortgage payments, taxes and credit scores. Becoming an adult is the stupidest thing I've ever done. Days like this I wish I was still a teenager and my dad was still alive and taking care of me.**


	77. Chapter 77

78.

~ "Norman."

Alex let go of his lover when he realized what a disturbingly violent scene this must look like to a three year old.

"Norman, it's okay." Norma said letting the butcher knife fall into the sink. She quickly flittered over to her son like a born ballerina and knelt before him.  
"Alex and I were just playing. No one is hurt. It's okay." she said in a very sugary voice.

The little boy looked ready to cry and Alex took a step back when the child glared at him accusingly.

"Norman?" his mother called to him. Her hands were smoothing down his hair and trying to get his attention to focus on her. "Norman, I need you to stay nice and calm. Think of happy thoughts. Everything is okay."

Norma's voice was calm and soothing so as to try and keep her son from having a seizure.  
"Norman!" Dylan called from outside. Alex say the older child had found an old soccer ball in the barn and clearly wanted his brother to come and play.

"Norman, look." his mother nodded to the back windows. "Dylan wants you to play with him. Don't you want to play with your brother?"

Norman glanced outside and back at his mother. He shook his head and latched onto Norma with a fierce hug that practically throttled her.

"Oh, Norman." she sighed. "You're getting too big for me to pick up."

Her youngest clearly wanting to be held like he had been in infancy again and unable to take no for an answer. Alex didn't like the fact that Norman, almost four years old now, wanted to attach himself to his mother like this. He was sure he had never been this clingy as a child and he wasn't sure if it was normal for a boy this age to be so affectionate.

"Norman, why don't you go play outside?" he offered.

Norman just glared at him and then turned back to his mother.

"No, I stay here. Together." he said in a petulant voice that made Alex want to call him out for being so over dramatic. Romero wasn't fooled by Norman's little act of playing possum, but Norma certainly bought it whole sale.  
"Oh, Honey." she said and kissed him on the cheek. "Of course we'll always be together."

~ Alex showered and redressed. He'd hoped that Norman would have gotten bored inside the house and left to play with Dylan again. When Alex was younger, he never stayed inside. Even if the weather was bad, he'd escape outside to the play fort or to some other secret location known only to a select few.

Sadly, when he emerged from the bathroom, Norman was helping his mother make cookies. Norma was engaged with him as if no one else existed in the world.

"Such a good job, Honey!" she praised her son lavishly.

Norman looked up at his mother with awe and then back at Alex as if gloating.

 _'_ _You're being stupid. Norman isn't trying to come between you._ ' he told himself after he thought the child looked a little too smug for just a second.

"Norman, why don't you and I go find Dylan?" Alex proposed hopefully. "I can show you boys how to throw a baseball. You know I pitched in high school." he added with a wink to Norma.

He had to admit, she looked extremely fetching while in the middle of baking. She defiantly had a very nineteen fifties housewife charm about her that he found very appealing.

Norman shook his head.

"No." he said and moved closer to Norma.

"Norman, I think you should go play with Dylan and Alex while it's still light outside." she said.

"No." Norman whined.

"Yes." his mother said. "You need the fresh air."

A look of anger flashed over the little boys face at being commanded to leave by his beloved mother.

"You're going to love baseball, buddy." Alex said hopefully. "All the girls love baseball players."

The same psychology he used without fail on Dylan didn't seem to work on Norman. The younger child flinched away from his extended hand as if Romero was plague ridden.

"Norman, Alex is trying to be nice to you!" his mother gasped in embarrassment at her child's rudeness.

"Wanna stay here!" Norman whined.

She looked back at Alex as if she were helpless to make a four year old do anything.

"Norman!" Dylan shouted and the older brother burst into the kitchen like a wild animal. "What are you doing?"

Norman glared at Dylan now and clutched to Norma's leg greedily.

"We have to secure the fort. Why are you hanging around mom? Come on! We have work to do! All the kids in school are gonna call you mama's boy and I can't beat up all the kids in school for you." Dylan explained. Romero was happy to see the oldest child looked windblown and dirty from the days adventures of exploring the woods.

"Mama's boy!" Dylan shouted and Norman looked angry. "Mama's boy! That's what they're all going to call you."

"No!" Norman cried hatefully at his brother's teasing.

Dylan pushed his younger brother and Norman tried to hit him back.  
Mama's boy! Mama's boy!" Dylan teased.  
"Dylan!" Norma scolded while Norman tried to punch his brother while still holding fast to Norma's leg.

"Mama's boy! Norman Bates is a Mama's boy! Norman Bates' best friend is his mother!"

"Stop!" Norman cried. The younger child's face turning red from sheer frustration.  
"That's enough, Dylan." Romero said calmly and the older brother stopped his tormenting. He leaned down and gently pried Norman's hand off of Norma's leg. The child's fingers still wanting to latch onto Norma's skirts.

"Dylan you go back to whatever it is you were doing. Norman and I have something to do." he said.

~ "We call her Lucy." Alex explained as he backed the beautiful classic car out of the barn and drove slowly towards the gravel drive. "This was my mother's car, and her brother's before that. You mother loves this car, Norman."

The little boy seemed impressed with the interesting vehicle that was a departure from anything he'd seen before.

Romero shuttered to think what Norma would have to say if she knew her youngest was riding in the front seat of this car that had no seat belts. He would worry about that later. She never could stay too mad at him.

"Okay, son." Alex said once they were on the deserted road with no chance of another car coming upon them. "Today you're going to learn how to drive. Not even Dylan has driven a car yet. So you'll have the advantage over your big brother."

Norman looked at him curiously and Alex waved at him to move closer.

"I'll step on the gas and the break, and you'll steer the wheel." he explained. "Come on."

Norman shifted closer and he saw a reluctant, hopeful smile trickle across the child's face.

"Now, put your hands here… and… here." he said placing little hands on the ten and two position. Norman moved closer to Alex and was practically sitting on his lap to see over the steering wheel.

"You're a natural." Alex said encouragingly.

Norman tried to jerk the steering wheel like a child would do, but Romero kept Lucy in park until he was sure they wouldn't run into a ditch.

"We have to be gentle with Lucy, Norman." he told the little boy. "Remember, she's a lady and we have to treat a lady right. Keep the wheel strait."

Norman nodded and shifted so he was on Romero's lap and looking early over the steering wheel. Alex was sure the little boy was all smiles now.

"My grandfather used to take me out driving like this all the time." Alex explained. He put Lucy into drive and eased off the break. He kept his hand on the bottom of the steering wheel so that Norman wasn't truly in command of the car.

"You did?" Norman asked. "You driving?"

The child gasped when Lucy lurched forward and seemed to obey his commands of the wheel.

"Just keep the wheel steady. Stay on the road. Very good. Good job, son." Alex coached.

Lucy stayed at a snail pace down the dirt road with Norman at the wheel and Alex riding the breaks so as not to go too fast.

"I'm driving!" Norman shouted happily. He glanced back at Alex and flashed an impressive array of missing teeth.  
"You **are** driving!" Alex told him encouragingly. "You're going to be a great driver!"

"I'm driving!" Norman shouted and attempted to turn the wheel too sharply. Alex was ready for it and held fast to the bottom of the large steering wheel so Lucy kept on the road.

"You like driving?" Alex asked when they turned around the road. Alex had made the little boy turn the wheel himself. A hard job for a four year old who was as small as Norman. But the child tried his best and refused to give up.  
"It's hard." Norman admitted finally.

"But you're really good at it." Alex prompted. "When you're bigger, you'll be the best driver ever."

Norman grinned and then took the job of steering Lucy very seriously on the way back.

~ Norma felt slightly nauseous after she'd gotten off the phone with George. She didn't like lying to him, but she didn't have the courage to tell him the truth. She hadn't even bothered with wearing the pink diamond since last night. It felt wrong to even look at it anymore.

George had seemed to believe her when she weaved a fantasy about Norman getting tests and how her and Dylan were spending their free time in a park. That way, if asked, Dylan wouldn't have to lie about being outdoors.

George had asked her when she was coming home. Why did she take Dylan with her? Why didn't she tell Rose they were leaving overnight? He was becoming suspicious and Norma couldn't think of a reasonable lie to tell.

"I just wanted Dylan with me. That's all." she had explained.

"I get that." George said. "But to take him out of school?"

"I know. I guess I just panicked. You know, it's always been just us." she explained.

"I think I might come up there and bring you guys home today." he offered.

"No. That's okay." she insisted. "We can drive home."

"How? You left your car in the parking lot at work." he said.

Norma felt her blood turn to ice. She'd forgotten the old girl was sitting in the parking lot where she and Alex had left her yesterday morning.

"Norma?" George asked.

"Oh, yeah." she stammered.

"Look, you don't have to lie to me." he said with a sigh. "Hilary told me she saw Sheriff Romero talking to you. That you got into his SUV and left after taking your cake orders."

Norma felt her heart beat quicken. George knew the truth. He knew she'd been with Alex this whole time.  
"Romero drove you and the boys to Portland's Children's Hospital because he wants you back." George said logically. Norma felt her expression fall from one of guilt to one of pity for the man who was so smart and yet so clueless.

"Oh, George… I…" Norma stuttered.  
"He realized what a mistake it was to let you go and now he's trying to show you what great guy he can be by taking you up there for Norman's tests." George told her. "But, Norma, he let you go. He let you go and you've got a new life with me now."

Norma was breathing hard. She didn't want to lie, but she didn't want to tell the truth.

"Romero will just have to accept defeat." George told her.

"Right." she said at last. "I'm...I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

"No, I understand. Bob and I were talking the other day. He seemed to think Alex Romero is bad for White Pine Bay. Even after all those arrests for drug trafficking just last month, Bob Paris wants to bring in another candidate for Sheriff. I mean, Romero is just the interim Sheriff because Wilson was killed. City council members are reluctant to make it official because they know if it comes down to an election, Alex Romero will win in a landslide." George explained.

"Bob Paris?" Norma asked. The truth about Juliet that Alex had told her last night still rang in her ears. She didn't trust Bob Paris for a second.

"Of course Bob Paris." George laughed.

"It's just… maybe we shouldn't have anything to do with Bob Paris." she said.

"Norma, this man is paying a lot of money for me to get him elected mayor. He's going to appoint me as a county judge when that happens. This is a great opportunity for us." he explained.

"I just…" she sighed.

"Look, you're worried about Norman. Romero trying to get you back probably isn't helping." George said optimistically. "I want you to use that credit card I gave you and rent a car to come back home today."

"Norman's tests?" she asked weakly. "Um, I'm not sure how long they will take."

"Fine, I'll come up there." George said. "I should have done that yesterday."  
"No, I'll ask the doctor how much longer. I think we can be done by tonight." she said.

"Okay." George said passively. "Just make sure Romero knows you've been spoken for. He had his chance and he blew it, right?"

"Right?" Norma had said numbly.

"Alright, sweet pea, I love you." George said happily.

"Yeah." Norma said absentmindedly.

She hung up the phone just as she saw the classic car pulling up the drive.

Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her, but it looked like Norman was sitting on Alex's lap and driving the big car with no seat belts. Her youngest son grinning so big, she didn't remember ever seeing him so happy.

She was out on the porch just as Lucy pulled to a full stop and Alex was instructing Norman to sit on the other side of the front seat. Both of them looking suspiciously innocent when she approached and leaned on the drivers side door.  
"What have you two been up to?" she asked sarcastically.  
Alex was about to lie, she could tell, but Norman beat him to it.

"I was driving the car!" the little boy shouted happily.

~ "I'm the best driver!" Norman told Dylan while the boys at lunch on the back porch.

"You are not!" Dylan argued with equal passion.

"Sheriff… Sheriff Romero let me drive the big car." Norman stuttered eagerly.

"No he didn't!" Dylan challenged. "You're too much of a little Mama's boy!"

Norma looked at Alex in horror and Romero didn't miss the opportunity. He went out on to the back porch and knelt beside the boys who were eating the sandwiches their mother had made.

"Norman, you did a great job driving today. I'm proud of you." he said. He looked over at Dylan. "Don't ever be cruel to your brother like that again." he warned. "Real men don't bully."

Norma eased back down in her seat at the kitchen table as her boys looked properly pacified and scolded by Alex. Both of them not willing to argue the finer points of Norman driving the car.

"I can't believe you let him drive that car." she said once he was back inside and seated next to her at the table.

She loved the way he smiled at being scolded.

"My grandfather used to sit me on his lap and let me steer the wheel all the time." Alex said happily. "I was so proud of myself. I just wanted Norman to have that same self confidence."

"It wasn't dangerous?" she asked. She was imagining horrible scenarios in her head where Alex and Norman were laying dead in a gutter.

"Not even a little, Norma." he assured her. "He was on my lap and I was really steering the wheel. We were on a deserted road at five miles an hour."

"Oh, that sounds so dangerous." she sighed dramatically.

Alex gave her an amused look.

"You know, he needs to believe in himself." he told her. "It's important at his age."

"I know." Norma groaned. "It's just… driving? In car with no seat belts? What if you had both been killed?"

"Well… I guess we wouldn't get in trouble." he mused.  
"That's not funny."

"Then why are you laughing?"

"I'm not!" she grinned.

"My mistake." he smiled back at her.

She looked at her uneaten lunch and felt sad.

"What is it?" he asked.

"I talked to George today." she admitted slowly. She stared at the wood grain of the kitchen table and avoided looking at him. "I think it's time to go back to reality."

 **So the mystery around what really happened to Juliet won't be solved soon. You guys didn't miss anything. Norma knows the truth, but the reader doesn't know the whole story. Not yet anyway. I know I've got a few sub plots in this story. Blair Williams killing a girl, Juliet's disappearance, the Summer's mother killing her children and putting them in the basement of the 'Psycho House', Bob Paris blackmailing Alex, Norma's parents are far from being done with her, Emma will be back, so will Charlotte and lets not forget about Caleb.**

 **So, yeah, it's kinda a lot of balls in the air.**


	78. Chapter 78

79.

~ Norma looked at her beloved old Mercedes from the safety and comfort of the Sheriff's SUV. She and Alex seemed to linger in the parking lot while waiting for the inevitable to happen. It was past midnight and she had told George she would be home soon.

Norma slipped on the pink diamond and hated how lose and cheap it felt on her finger. A diamond ring that cost a fortune but looked and felt like a cracker jack prize.

She glanced behind her to see Norman was fast asleep and Dylan had started to doze off as well. That was good, she didn't want the boys to hear them talking.

"Do you think George suspects anything?" Alex asked. The Sheriff of White Pine Bay looking intently out the window at the deserted streets. Anything to provide a distraction.

"He thinks you just drove us to the children's hospital. That's it. He thinks you want me back or something stupid like that." she sighed. She looked out the window at the opposite side of the street. She desperately wanted to be distracted.

"He really thought you were in Portland this whole time?" He asked. "I guess that's good. I can prove I was in town the day I took you and the boys to the farm. I arrested your parents and everything."

"Will there still be a restraining order?" she asked.

They were both looking at opposite ends of the street. Neither one of them daring to glance back in case they made eye contact and this became too hard.  
"I'm going to the office to fax the order after I leave you. I won't mention you in the order." he said soberly.

Norma nodded.

"Good." she whispered. "George is expecting us home soon."

"He really can't be that clueless." Alex huffed. "Isn't he a hot shot lawyer? He should have some intelligence."

"Not everyone is as naturally as suspicious as you, Sheriff." she reminded him gently.

"It's not suspicion, it's common sense." Alex told her.

They looked out their separate windows for a while. The tension building between them till there was no more room for breathing.

"It's not too late. We can still go back home if you want." he told her hopefully.

Norma refused to look at him. She was blinking back tears at the idea of going back with Alex. That she could live there with him on that lovely little farm, that that place would be her home. Her sons could run wild all day and she could have a garden and maybe even some chickens. That she and Alex would tackle home improvement projects on his days off. Well, those times he didn't kidnap her sons and take them fishing.

"Norma?" he asked.  
"What?"

She still refused to look at him but knew that his face would be remorseful and sad.

"I… I need to know." he said carefully. The back of his hand went to his nose as he tried to compose himself. She thought it might be a new habit of his. "What, what I told you last night about Juliet, I need to know that it will stay between us."

She turned and met him in the eye.  
"Of course it will." she said firmly.

"Because it's not just my life that could end over this." he told her. "It's not just me that gets hurt if this investigation is reopened."

"I know." she told him sadly.

"Stay away from Bob Paris. Tell George to drop out as his campaign manager." Alex suggested.

"George won't listen to me." she sighed and smiled. The very idea that George would take her advice was ridiculous. Her fiancé knew she wasn't educated on politics. He wouldn't listen to her make suggestions about Bob Paris. No, Norma was there to be the All American pretty blond wife and her boys made for a wholesome photo op for the future county judge. His attractive, ready made family, that would win elections.

"Oh, and you've never made anyone listen to you before?" he teased.

Norma bit her lip to stop the smile from blooming on her face.

"I should go." she whispered.

"You still don't have to." he told her.

"Yes, I do." she said. "It will be okay."

She opened the door to the SUV and hopped out.

~ Alex watched her rouse Dylan and Norman out of sleep and make them walk to the green Mercedes. She put their bags into the trunk and didn't look back at Romero.

He wanted more than anything to go to her and pull her back. Drag her, maybe kicking and screaming, with him. Instead, he mutely watched her drive away. His whole world was in that green car, and it was ending.

He put the SUV in drive and went to the Sheriff's station. The last twenty four hours had felt like a dream and he wasn't sure what was real.

"Sheriff?" the night clerk said in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"Paperwork." Alex said sourly and walked past her. He went to his office and started the forms he needed to fill out for the restraining order on Ray and Franny Calhoun.

~ Norma arrived home to find the house was completely dark and abandoned looking. The motion sensors tripped and a security light flooded the drive so she could see the house better.

"Mom?" Dylan asked. "Why can't we stay at the farm with Sheriff Romero? It was nice." Dylan asked.

"I know it was, but we have to be here." Norma said calmly.

"We were a family there." Dylan offered.

Norma felt tears fall out of her eyes.  
"I know. It's going to be okay." she promised.

~ George was sleeping when Norma finally finished putting the boys to bed on the other side of the massive house. She could tell he had taken his prescription sleep aide just by the way he snored. He would be out for hours and wake up his normal, untroubled self.

Norma watched him sleeping for a while before she went to his office. His desk was sitting under a clever floor safe that was large enough to hold a grown man inside. She guessed the combination was the three digit number that was written and taped on the back of a rather over priced artwork in the office. Norma thought it too wild a coincidence that it could be anything else. The floor safe asking for only three numbers when activated.

She heard the tumblers move and pop open, the hatch pulling up with far too much effort. Norma peered down into the neatly organized shelves and decided to get a closer look by venturing into the large floor safe.

It was hard to see in the dim lights from the study above her, but she saw the name Juliet written on a cardboard box. She felt her heart pick up speed and pulled the box out from it's spot on the shelf. She didn't dare open it, just held it close to her chest.

"Not just his life." she reminded herself. She looked over the shelves and was surprised to see so much was there. She noticed reams of accounting paperwork, but they meant nothing to her. She wouldn't even know what to look for. If there was something useful to her, like a big handy box that said: _evidence against Bob Paris_ , that would be great.

Sadly, Norma looked over the shelves and saw nothing that she could understand. She climbed back out of the pit like floor safe and opened the desk drawer to look for odds and ends she could put in Juliet's box. Without taking inventory of what was in the box, she neatly dumped it's contents into the trash can and pulled the liner up as if she were taking out the trash. She filled the now empty Juliet box with broken pencils and paper and old documents so that it weighed the same, and replaced the box where she found it on the shelf.

Feeling less queazy, she promptly closed the floor safe, locked it, and grabbed the trash bag.

She turned out all the lights and hurried to the guest room she often slept in when George's snoring was too loud or she needed to sleep alone.

Once she was safe from discovery, she turned the trash bag over on the bed. It's contents spilling out in a beautiful chaos. A part of her was eager to learn what was so special about Juliet that Alex was willing to risk everything for her for many years later. Another part of her was afraid she couldn't compete with the ghost of his first love.

It was like looking at the most intimate part of someone's life you've never met and knowing them better than anyone else. The purse that belonged to Juliet was fashionable in the mid eighties, but it was cheaply made and from a discount store. Norma carefully picked over the typical teenage girl trappings that she herself had. A tube of lipstick, a broken compact, a few pens and the forever useful hair brush. Norma looked over Juliet's wallet and drivers license and saw that she was a very pretty blond girl. Her hight was roughly the same as hers, her eye color was blue and, aside from the four year age difference, the two of them looked alike enough to be sisters.

Norma read over the little book of poetry Juliet seemed to love enough to carry with her. The teenage girl she was investigating had clearly been a fan of epic romance in the form of Lancelot and Guinevere. She wondered if Juliet had fancied Alex would be her Lancelot and decided not to torment herself with being jealous of a ghost.

The girl who made these little heart notes in the book of pomes was lost to him years ago. Wedged in the middle of the book of pomes was as polaroid picture of what could only be Alex as a teenager. Norma smiled when se saw Sheriff Alex Romero was once a good looking teenager who would swim in a picturesque query by a waterfall. The younger Alex in the picture looked taken off guard when his likeness was forever captured on film and hidden away in this little book of pomes. In many ways, Alex hadn't changed at all from the teenager he had once been. He was still lean in body and muscular. His face and expression still sometimes had a look of being worried, but wanting to be happy. In the picture he was shirtless from swimming, in good shape from playing baseball and must have been sought after by the entire female population of his high school.

Norma tucked the polaroid of Alex back into the book. She could see why Juliet liked it so much and wanted to preserve it as someone else's memory.

She found what she expected in the form of a folder. It was full of letters meant only for Alex that had been rudely opened, read and then kept in order to use later. Norma immediately forgave Alex and Juliet for any feeling of jealousy when she read them. There was too much heart ache living there between the words. Too much pain and longing. She felt it was violating his privacy to keep reading and instead, she closed the folder and tucked all of her ill gotten treasures under the mattress for safe keeping. She would give them to Alex tomorrow when she went to work. At least now, there wouldn't be any weapons to use on Alex. Now he was safe.

~ Alex waited by his office window to see Norma Bates walking to work. It was Friday and she was due for her delightful crossing of the street any second. He waited, and waited for her to arrive, and she failed to show.

He felt slightly cheated. It occurred to him George might have found out she had been unfaithful to him. Maybe that boring campaign manager had hurt her. That scenario seemed unlikely. George didn't seem the type to physically hurt anyone.

Alex jumped when there was a knock on his door and Clarice let herself in.  
"Sheriff?" she asked. "A Norma Bates is here to see you."

Romero was startled into attention and quickly sat down at his desk, pretending to look busy.  
"Oh… show her in." he said hurriedly.

Clarice gave him a knowing smile and stood aside to let the sunlight back into his life.

Romero stood when he saw her. Norma was dressed in a beautifully low cut dress that scented her figure to perfection. Was she trying to torment him?  
"How can I help you, Mrs. Bates?" he asked and closed the door so they were alone. As soon as the office door was shut, he dropped all professionalism.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed.

"I found it." she answered with a smile and grabbed her purse.

"Found what?" he asked.

"The thing Bob Paris said he had on you. About Juliet." she said.

Alex leaned away from her. The ghost coming between them.

"Here." she said and reached into her large purse to pull out an accordion notebook.

"It was some of her personal possessions, but then I found the letters." she said.

Alex was finding it hard to breathe.

"What… what letters?" he asked.

"George has a floor safe." Norma confessed. "I figured Bob Paris would keep sensitive information there in case his home was raided or he was killed. You said if you killed him, the evidence would still get out."

She nodded to the folder.  
"Now it won't. Now you're safe. He has nothing to connect you to what happened." she told him.

Alex still couldn't bring himself to touch the folder.

"You… you shouldn't have done this. If you'd been caught." he stammered.  
"You would have done the same for me." she told him.

She seemed to notice he was having trouble touching the folder.

"Alex." she said. "You need to read the letters. It's important. I don't think it's over. It's only a matter of time before Bob Paris realizes the wrong papers are in that box. Remember it's not just your life."

Alex nodded and could barely keep his composure when Norma stood to leave.

"Wait." he called back to her.

She turned to him and her face mirrored his in sadness.

Unsure of what to say, he could only stammer.

"Thank you."

Norma nodded and made her ever graceful exit. His world growing dark without her as he let memories of a ghost consume him.

~ It didn't hurt as much as he thought. The pain he was expecting to pierce him through the heart wasn't there at all. These letters were written to a young man who had no knowledge about life other than it was terribly unfair and that he had been hopelessly in love with an overly romantic girl.

It was almost laughable how foolish they had been. How stupid and careless were they to think they could run away and live like gypsies forever. Alex Romero wasn't this person anymore. He wasn't the eighteen year old kid who so brashly lied to investigators and allowed the girl he loved to be lost forever. It was like she had no power over him when he read her words and was pulled back to when she was everything to him.

When he finished the pile of letters, he quickly typed in a name and last known city in Colorado. Tom had done his research just before he was killed on this very person and Alex had no idea.

There was a hit almost immediately. Sarah Makeska had lived in the same small town for almost ten years now. She was married to a local businessman and had three children, all girls. Alex saw her drivers license picture and felt his heart beat faster. He would know her anywhere.

He picked up the desk phone and called directory to find the unlisted phone number. With shocking speed he was connected and her phone was ringing.

"Hello?" her voice called out happily on the other end of the line. Alex could hear a baby crying from the other room.

"Good morning, ma'am." he said professionally. "My name is Sheriff Alex Romero of White Pine Bay Oregon."

He felt the silence reverberate through the phone line.

"Is this Sarah Makeska?" he asked gently. "I need to speak to Sarah Makeska about the disappearance of Juliet Mathews back in the spring of 1988."  
"Alex?" Sarah's voice broke. "This… Alex?"

"Juliet." he said her name at last. "Bob… he never gave me your letters. I had no idea where you were. That you were waiting for me."

"Wait, Alex." she cried. "You never got my letters? I wrote to you after I left. I wrote to you to come to Colorado. I mailed them to Bobby to give to you so the police wouldn't find out."

"He never gave them to me. Juliet, listen this is important-."

"You're a Sheriff now?" she laughed. "You never wanted to be a cop."  
"Juliet." he sighed. "You know what will happen if Bob Paris decides to expose what we did. What we had to do to get you away."

There was that silence moving between them now that meant they would forever be strangers again. They could never go back to the carelessness of youth where they thought the world would end if they didn't stay together.

"I understand." she said weakly. "Alex, I'm married now. I have children."  
"You and your family will be fine. You have my word." Alex said.

"What are you going to do?"

"Please don't ask me that."

"Alex, I'm so sorry. We were so stupid. That poor girl, Alex." she started crying. "If I could change it, I would. I don't know what we were thinking."

"It's too late now." he told her.

"Alex." she cried softly.

"It's going to be okay." he promised.

He didn't want to let her go. Their lives were separated from one another now. Their love story was long dead.

"I need to go." he said. "Don't call here. Okay?"

"I won't." she sighed. "I'm sorry, Alex. For everything."


	79. Chapter 79

79.

~ "This is it." Alex told Norma when they finally reached the top of a steep climb. He turned around and saw she was struggling to meet him. Romero braced himself on a nearby tree and offered her a hand up. She gratefully grasped his hand so she would't lose her balance on the rocks.  
"Thank you." she breathed when she finally reached the top of their climb.

She was breathing hard from the hike they had agreed to that morning. Alex wanted to show her the waterfall and quarry he had visited so often in his youth. He hadn't been back to this place since Juliet left.

"Alex, that was **not** a short walk." Norma panted.

"It didn't feel that long when I was younger." Alex admitted sourly.

"How are we going to get back down?" she sighed and looked doubtfully over the rocky climb she had just made.

"Carefully." he grinned.  
"This had better be worth it." she grumbled and stopped her complaining when he pointed to the large waterfall that was cascading over black rocks and into an ancient looking pool that looked untouched by human eyes.

He didn't bother taking in the scenic waterfall or the picturesque rock quarry it was feeding. He could see this place in his memories any time he wanted. He appreciated Norma enjoying her first view of the majesty of this secret place.  
"Worth the climb?" he asked once she had been left breathless by the spectacle.  
She glanced back at him and tried to be indifferent. Yet, her smile was unstoppable and showed him she really was in awe of the beauty of nature.

"Yeah. Yeah it was worth the climb. We might have to live here though, I don't think we can get back down." she said.

"Fine with me." he agreed.

Norma smiled at him and they carefully climbed down to be near the waters edge.  
"I saw a picture of this waterfall in that polaroid you know." she said when they reached the rocks leading into the pool.

Alex shook his head and tried to act casual about it. He was a little embarrassed she had seen that picture.

"That was a long time ago." he told her.

"You know, you were kind of a hottie then." she teased.

"I'm not anymore?" he asked playfully.  
She gave him a noncommittal shrug.

"Eh." she said.  
"This is payback for the climb isn't it?"

"No, this is just honesty, Sheriff." she grinned. "Payback for the climb will come later."

"Well, I'm looking forward to it, Mrs. Bates." he said.

They watched the falls for a while before he realized she had started unbuttoning her top and exposing the bathing suit under it.

"We still going swimming or what?" she asked.

~ The water was breathtakingly cold, but the sun kept her from feeling totally frozen.

Norma swam out to the center of the pool and peered down at the darkening depths below her. The waterfall feeding the pool was clear and she could see the darkness leading down into oblivion.

"How deep is it here?" she called to Alex who was still on the shore. He had built them a fire for some reason despite it being summer. The heat of the day was on them and the water felt cold, but refreshing.

"We never measured it." he shouted back. "Norma, stay away from the falls, the water's too cold there."

Norma, obeying her true nature and not his advice, swam closer to the falls and immediately felt the ice cold water prick her skin like needles. The churn of the falls was strong enough to pull her in if she swam any closer. If she stayed here her body might go numb from the water and she could easily drown. She swam away from the falls again, lesson learned the hard way. Her body started to protest the cold and she could feel cramping in her knees and legs.

Norma quickly climbed out of the pool and was grateful it was summer and the sun was out. Grateful that Alex had built them a good fire so she shouldn't die of hypothermia.  
"Finally ready to warm up?" he teased and greeted her with an open towel. Norma rushed to him eagerly and let him wrap the towel around her.

"The water's freezing!" she gasped and her teeth started to chatter.

"You shouldn't have gotten so close to the falls, Norma." Romero scolded gently. "It was snow a few hours ago."

He made her sit close to the fire he had built for them and she rubbed her feet until the feeling of needles pricking her flesh had stopped.

"This place is amazing." she sighed when she finally felt her body warm up. Alex sat beside her, eventually taking her hands in his. His palms were calloused and warm and felt wonderful holding her hands which were still so cold.

"Swimming in a rock quarry is dangerous. It's easy to slip on the rocks, get caught in an underwater current. Even get too cold like you just did. If you had an accident, it would be hard to get help here." he told her. His face looked slightly troubled as he played with her fingers.

"Is that how it happened?" Norma asked.

Alex sat up straiter and looked towards a large bolder by the water's edge.  
"It was an accident." he said at last. "Bob had brought this girl he had met in Portland here for the camping trip. We had never met her before and she was a little wild."

Norma waited patiently for Alex to go on.

"She had been drinking and climbed up those rocks; tried to dive off. She must have hit her head or something. We went in to pull her out, and saw her head was bleeding. She could still walk and talk, so all of us tried to hike out to get help, but she was hurt too badly to get very far. The climb was too much and she was dead before we could even get to the main road." he explained.

"That's when Juliet assumed her identity?" Norma asked.

Alex nodded.

"Sarah Makeska was the girl's name. She looked nothing like Juliet." he said. "Sarah had tattoos and colored her hair black. We only knew that she had grown up in the foster care system in Portland. That she arrived here by bus a few days ago. No one would miss her if she vanished and she was eighteen. It seemed so perfect at the time. There was this girl who was dead, nothing we could do about it, and Juliet could just step in her place."

Norma leaned in closer to him. She wanted to comfort him, protect him from these memories.

"Bob and I, we buried Sarah's body along with Juliet's shoes and bag with her ID. We even said it was Juliet that we buried there. That it was Juliet's grave. No one would ever find the body. These woods are too large." Alex looked at the fire burning. His hands still holding onto Norma's to keep them warm. "Juliet took Sarah's purse and ID. We hid my car and claimed it was stolen so she could leave town when we were ready."

"Why was is so important she have a new identity? Couldn't she just leave?" Norma asked.

"You know better than anyone how controlling some people can be. Her step father was horrible. He would never just let her go. He had connections in the drug trade that would find her. She wouldn't be free of him as long as he knew she was alive." Alex explained. "We had to fake her disappearance and make it look like she had been taken and killed."

"So what went wrong?" Norma asked.

"Her step father was arrested the same day Bob and I faked her disappearance." Alex explained. "I wanted to find her, tell her it was safe to come home, but she never contacted me again. It was like she really had disappeared."

"Bob Paris had been hiding her letters to you." Norma concluded.

Alex looked annoyed.

"She wrote to him because he wasn't a suspect. No one was looking for Bob Paris to be involved in her disappearance." he explained.

"And no one ever missed Sarah Makeska?" Norma asked.

"Wilson pulled a missing persons report when he became suspicious." Alex explained. "Right before he was shot. He found the real Sarah Makeska's ID picture and then one of her after Juliet disappeared."

"Two different people using the same name." Norma nodded. "How did he even connect Sarah to Juliet?"

"Because Sarah had bought a bus ticket here and was never heard from again. Sarah vanishing the same time Juliet did." Alex explained.

"So what happens to Juliet now?" Norma asked. "Is she in danger?"

"No, I'm going to take care of it." he said easily.  
"How?"

"Don't ask me that." he said.

She nodded and looked at the fire.

"Would you want to go to her? Now that you know where she is?" Norma asked at last.

Alex started laughing.  
"No. Juliet is married with three kids." he said and threw some broken twigs into the fire for the pleasure of watching them burn.

"You don't have feelings for her?"

"The kid who was in love with her is long gone, Norma." he said dryly.

They watched the flames devouring the firewood and casting off warm heat on a still sunny afternoon.

"I'm glad you told me what happened." she said sadly.

"I'm glad I finally know she's alright. All these years, and she never contacted me. I thought something might have happened to her. That maybe she didn't escape after all." he said.

He finally turned to look at her and smiled.

"How did Dylan like his first day at summer camp?" he asked.

Norma didn't want to talk about the disaster of her oldest son's first day at camp.

"Alex, it's a beautiful summer camp and he's going to have a wonderful time. He's going to ride horses and learn carpentry and all kinds of amazing things." she said angrily.

"He still didn't want to go?" Alex asked.

"No. He didn't." Norma pouted. "I would have loved to have gone to a summer camp like that."

"Me to." he added.  
Norma let out a long sigh.

"It's best if Dylan isn't at home right now." she admitted.

"Why?"

Norma shrugged and looked away.  
"Last Friday, after I gave you what I found in the safe, I moved out. Norman and I are back at the old house on Pine Valley Lane." she explained.

She didn't miss the interested look on Romero's face.

"I didn't leave George for you." she said quickly. "I left for myself. I was tired of faking it for him and Christine. He deserves better than me."

"Norma." Romero groaned. "Don't say things like that."

"It's true. He's a good person and I'm not. I'm tired of pretending to be."

"Norma..."  
"We are not back together either, Alex." she clarified. "I don't want to be with anyone. I like being on my own."

He looked unhappily back at the fire. Her hands slipping out of his.

"But I want us to still be friends." she added.

"Fair enough." he said sadly.

She leaned away from him. Both of them watching the fire in silence.

"You know, today is kind of special." he said at last.

She gave him a curious look. He smiled and tossed another twig into the fire.

"It's our anniversary." he said. "We met one year ago today."

Norma smiled and nodded.

"You're right, it is." she admitted. "I loved how you arrested my husband, Sheriff."

"I aim to please, Mrs. Bates." he chuckled.

"Come on, Alex." she sighed. "Let's go swimming again. It's a special day after all."

 **I know a lot of my readers were not too keen on the Juliet sub plot, but it is important later on. I meant to have Norma and George be together for a little longer, but there was such INTENSE hatred for them as a couple and demand for them to break up.**


	80. Chapter 80

80.

~ Norma tried to be happy with a life that was normal again. Even if a panic attack woke her up at five in the morning and she couldn't go back to sleep. It felt like some horrible force was pressing down on her chest and she shouldn't breathe. The invisible attacker pulling her out of sleep with a violent jerk over her entire body.

She sat up in bed for a long time, trying to control the need to cry over nothing. Her heart racing and every fiber of her being telling her something was horribly wrong.

As much as she hated to admit it to herself, she wished Alex was there. When they had been together, however briefly, she never had these attacks. She had always felt safe when he was asleep next to her. Just knowing Alex Romero was under the same roof, always made her feel at ease. Nothing bad could happen when he was there. If it did, he would fix it. He would make it better.

Now, it was just Norma. If there was a problem, she had to fix it. She had to make it better for everyone else. She wished she could feel more confident in her abilities, but right now, she felt overwhelmed.

She glanced at her clock and decided there was no chance to go back to sleep tonight. Instead, she decided to get up and get herself dressed. She checked on Norman once the sun broke over the horizon and saw her little boy was sleeping peacefully. Dylan was still at summer camp and from his last phone call, he was enjoying it at last.

Norma didn't bother to tell her oldest that she had moved them out of George's home two weeks ago. She didn't want him to be troubled or worried over her. She wanted him to enjoy the fancy summer camp that George had paid for in advance. It might be the last time he could go. The news of the insurance lawsuit wasn't good.

George, ever the kind hearted gentleman, had called her yesterday to explain the latest offer on a settlement for Sam Bates' million dollar life insurance policy. The company was willing to only give Norma half of the money owed to her and Norman. The other half would be held in trust until her youngest son was eighteen. George had informed her of taxes on such a large payout and had advised a regulated dispersement over her lifetime.

"You'll get around a fifteen hundred dollars a month for the next forty to fifty years depending on how the investments go." he said over the phone. "Will that be enough?"

He asked in such a way that Norma was sure he was concerned for her financial security. She wanted to kick herself for breaking his heart the way she did. She had tried to be nice about it. She'd given him back the ugly pink diamond, told him she wouldn't be a good wife and he deserved better. The expression on his face was the same Dylan had made when he suspected Santa Clause wasn't real. Disbelief that the fantasy was over. Hurt that someone he trusted had deceived him.

Christine was livid over the break up, and Norma felt her fledgling wedding cake business might suffer from lack of orders. She had no idea how influential Christine could be in this town. How easily she could make or break people. Norma didn't like to think Christine could be that petty over a girl dumping her brother, but stranger things had already happened in White Pine Bay.

Norma had told George that she would be perfectly fine with the smaller monthly allowance. They had exchanged polite small talk, he'd never mentioned being paid back the money for Dylan's camp. He only asked if he'd come to Portland for Norman's medical tests, would she still be with him.

"I'm just not used to being a dad, Norma." he said earnestly when she told him she was leaving. "I didn't know that you needed me there. If you told me you wanted me to come, I would have."

She had to bit her lip to keep from telling him the truth. She felt like an awful person for lying to him about Portland and using her son's illness as a convenient cover story. It wasn't right that she had spent the night with Alex and then lied to George. Even if it was for her protection, she shouldn't have gone with her former lover to the farm and allowed herself to be pulled back to him. She should have checked into a motel or something. She knew exactly what would happen once Alex Romero was back in the role he played so well.

Alex wasn't used to being a dad either when he'd first met the boys. Yet, it hardly intimidated him. He didn't hesitate to discipline the boys when they were getting beyond Norma's control. He never had to raise so much as his voice to her sons to get them to listen and behave. They were eager for someone like him to take charge and make them feel secure. He easily gained Dylan's trust and admiration the first day they met. He'd even carried Norman in his arms like the little boy was his own flesh and blood.

Norma closed her eyes and tried not to think about the way Alex had carried Norman into the house after the car accident. How her little boy looked so fragile, and yet so safe with Alex holding him. She didn't want to think about that because it was hard not to call Romero and invite him back into her life these days.

That warm afternoon in the cold quarry waters had been too magical and intimate. It was too risky to bring Alex around again. Too easy to let herself love him again.

She had to start over.

Again.

She had to make it through on her own without help and prove to herself and her children that she was capable. She was making her weekly to-do list, accounting for all the things she had to accomplish before the day was out when her phone rang. Norma was grateful she had kept up the rent on her little house on Pine Valley Road, along with the electric and phone. Perhaps she'd always known it wouldn't work out with George and she would need a back up plan. Perhaps she always felt she needed an escape.

Sybil's raspy voice croaked over the line as soon as Norma picked up the receiver.

"I heard you left Mr. Goody-Goody. Happy to hear it."

"I thought you liked George." Norma argued.

"I like him just fine." Sybil told her. "But I also like smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. You can like something that's not good for you."

"You think George was bad for me?"

"I think George wouldn't challenge you." Sybil said wisely. "You need the kind of man who doesn't roll over and show his belly whenever you snarl at him."

"Let me guess, you think Alex and I need to be back together." Norma sighed.

"I never said anything about Little Bear." Sybil said quickly. "But yes, I do think you two work very well with each other. Trust me, it's not easy to find someone who really understands you. You and Alex understand one another and like each other anyway. That's a gift."

"Well, we've decided to just remain friends." Norma told her. "I think that's best."

"For now." Sybil told her. "Doesn't have to be forever."

"Enough about my love life." Norma said quickly.

"Fine. About my why I called, are you busy today? I need some help at the annual food drive. We need people to unload and stock shelves. There will be daycare provided for Norman if you want to bring him. i just need all the help I can get."

Norma let out a sigh. She couldn't say no to Sybil. Not after everything the older woman had done for her.

"Alright, what time do you need me?" Norma asked.

"Can you be here at the Wild Oak Church in an hour?"

"Sure." Norma agreed and hung up. She still had laundry to do and some unpacking, but when Sybil called, you had no choice but to answer answered.

~ Apparently, Norma isn't the only one Sybil Lawson had called favors in for the biggest food drive she'd ever seen. The church had an indoor basketball court that they utilized for the for drive organization and there were many moving parts and jobs to do. There had to be a few dozen people who were quickly moving supplies and breaking down pallets of goods enough to fill a grocery store.

"This all goes out to surrounding counties." Sybil explained. "A lot of kids don't have lunches now that school is out for the summer. So, the local charities offer free lunches to the little ones who are stuck at home with nothing to eat."

"That's wonderful." Norma said. She was helping pack boxes with a specific number of canned goods, and boxed goods. She had to label them and tape them shut at a faster pace than she was used to. After a while, she started to feel like the episode of "I Love Lucy" in the candy factory. The repetitive speed making it easy to fall out of sync if she was distracted.

"Oh, well… look who's here. I didn't have any idea." Sybil said in a false tone of surprise.

Norma looked over to where the older woman nodded and saw Sheriff Romero and several of his deputies in plain clothes. He hadn't noticed her on the assembly line packing boxes for distribution. All of the available Sheriff's department were busy unloading the trucks to notice the other people there.

Norma turned to Sybil in annoyance.

"That's an interesting coincidence." she accused.

"I don't know what you mean." Sybil said innocently.

"Alex is here."

"This is a small town. He's the Sheriff who is now, officially, up for election. I'm sure he want's to make a good impression on the voters." Sybil said. The older woman shrugged. "Even if he has done this every year since he came back from the Marines."  
"Election? What election? He just took Wilson's place seven months ago." Norma asked.

"Yes, but Bob Paris has been trying to veto the interim appointment." Sybil explained. "So now, Little Bear has decided to run for Sheriff of White Pine Bay against the city council's stall tactics. If he wins, which he will, he will be the youngest elected Sheriff in White Pine Bay history."

"Wow." Norma nodded. She watched Alex pushing a dolly loaded with canned goods down the ramp and towards a group of volunteers who were unpacking and repacking everything.

"He does this every year?" Norma asked. She wondered why Alex never said anything about volunteer work.

Norma nodded and wondered why Alex never mentioned what Bob Paris was trying to do. She had thought they confided in each other all their secrets. She had thought, with Juliet and Caleb, all the bad things were laid out, and then washed away.

"I have to get back to work." the younger woman said with a nod to all the boxes she hadn't packed yet.

"Yes, I need a smoke break." Sybil told her and took one last drag on her cigarette before starting a new one.

~ Norma started to feel a pain in her back, neck and arms after a few hours of this work. She pushed it aside though and looked over at Alex and Deputy Washington breaking down pallets as if the job were easy. Norma wasn't above sneaking a casual glance at the way Alex looked with just a T-shirt and jeans on. He normally wore so many layers, his body was lost. Now, she was reminded of just how much she was missing.

She had turned back to her work and had gotten lost in the repetitive action of boxing up canned goods. She hadn't noticed she had another visitor standing across her work table. When she looked up, there was Alex. He had finally noticed she was here and had taken a break to come talk to her.  
"Sheriff." she smiled politely.

Alex grinned shyly and looked away so she wouldn't notice his awkwardness. She wasn't fooled.

"Mrs. Bates." he said.

The formality between them now was a hilarious inside joke. The need to keep up certain boundaries in a relationship where they no longer had any secrets. He started helping her pack boxes and taped them shut.

"I see Sybil roped you in." he said at last.

"There isn't anything she can't accomplish with manipulation and will power." Norma told him with a touch of bitterness. "She should run for president. She could guilt trip everyone into saving the world."

"She hates politics." Alex said.

"Why didn't you tell me you'd be here?" she asked and nodded to the workers who were moving and repacking food for different counties.

"I'm here every year. But I have to say, this is the biggest drive Sybil's ever pulled off. I've got an interview with the newspaper reporter soon." he said.

"Another clipping for my scrapbook, Sheriff." she sighed.

"You really keep a scrapbook?" he asked.

She gave him an odd look that was neither a yes or a no.

"So why all the press?" she asked instead.

"Because Sybil wants me to be elected Sheriff." he explained. "Something like this can sway a lot of voters. Also the city council members who are undecided."

"Well, you already have my vote, Sheriff. Sybil told me about Bob Paris' going to the city council to try and get you out."

"Yeah, he doesn't like not having me under his thumb." Alex said darkly. "He has to cry about it now."

"Poor baby." Norma grinned and Alex gave her a conspiratorial smile.

They packed boxes together for a while before she asked.

"Your friend, Sarah, she's going to be okay right?" Norma asked at last. Their work at the table meant they could lean closer to one another while looking busy.

"I'm going to take care of it." Alex said and didn't look up from taping a box shut.  
"You're not in danger? Are you?" she asked.

"No more than usual." he shrugged.

"Alex." she scolded.

"Is Norman here with you?" he asked.

"Don't change the subject. And yes, he's here with the other little ones."

"Maybe after all this is done, the three of us can go get something to eat." he offered.

"You know I just broke up with George." she said quietly. "How would it look if I were seen with you so soon after?"

"We can go to your place." he offered casually.  
"Oh, I see how it is. You got tired of your frozen dinners and fast foods!" she grinned.

"You threw my TV dinners away, Mrs. Bates." he argued.

"I did indeed, Sheriff." she sighed happily.

She looked back at him and saw how easy it would be to return to their old life if he were to come over for dinner. How easily he could stay the night, how easily he would step back into the role he filled and then left.

"I think I might just take Norman home and call it a day after this, Sheriff." she said sadly.

She tried to keep her focus on her packing, but didn't miss the way Alex's face feel and his gaze looking particularly saddened by her rejection.

He was about to leave her work station when a thought occurred to her.

"Sheriff?" she called to him.

Alex turned back and gave her his full attention.

"Yes, Mrs. Bates?"

"Maybe we could have coffee sometime?" she said awkwardly.

Their eyes met, despite the distance. He looked uncomfortable, but gave her a half hearted nods before he turned and walk away.


	81. Chapter 81

81.

~ Alex knew exactly where to find Bob Paris. Although they had been close in childhood, as men, they had each taken wildly different paths in life.

The hunting club Bob was now president of was exclusive enough that not even the Sheriff could visit one of it's members without an appointment; or a tie. It was one of those rules that was never broken or even questioned. It was one of the rules that showed who really ran things in White Pine Bay, and let Alex Romero know he would never topple all the big money men in this town.

He'd been waiting for Bob to keep their appointment, a stall tactic to put Romero in his place just like anything else. The Sheriff of White Pine Bay felt that the jacket and tie rule was just another tactic to use against him. He always preferred his uniform. Always felt it was like armor that gave him more authority than normal clothing. Being reduced to plain clothing, even if it was required, made him feel more vulnerable. Especially in this den of wolves.

Romero spotted Bob Paris strolling into the bar area and glanced at his watch. His old friend was half an hour late for their appointment.

"Alex!" Bob said with a big grin. "You know I really should have asked security to pat you down for weapons, but what's a little indoor gun play between friends?"

"Or bed wetting." Romero added. Bob Paris' face fell slightly as the Sheriff glowered at the the soon to be mayor of his town.

Bob composed himself and sat up a little straiter.

"What can I help you with, Alex? I suppose you'll be needing a reference after this election. You won't be Sheriff anymore and I doubt your replacement will want to keep you on as first deputy. Going to be a lot of changes once I'm in office." he said.

"That's not how it's going to go down, Bob." Alex said with a smirk. "I'm still going to win the election for Sheriff, but you won't be mayor."

"Interesting." Bob said with his cheesy politician grin. "What makes you say that?"

"I spoke with Juliet the other day, Bob." Alex said. His next lie coming easily enough. "She had done an online search of her home town and saw my name as Sheriff. She gave me a call. Imagine my surprise when I found out about her missing letters."

Alex enjoyed watching that smug face fall.

"She's going to testify against you, Bob. She's going to say you drowned Sarah in the quarry and forced her to help you cover it up. I've an Agent Evans in Colorado right now taking her statement and putting her in Witness Protection." Romero said casually. "That, coupled with the money laundering you've had Rebecca do will put you in prison for a very long time."

"Why are you telling me this?" Bob asked. "Why not just leave me for the feds?"

The aspiring politician was breathing hard at the very real idea he could go away for murder.

"You're worried I'll send people after that Bates woman, aren't you?" Bob Paris said with his shifty political grin. "You wouldn't be wrong to worry, Alex. Even if I do serve jail time, which is unlikely, I'd still have my connections."

"It's not in my best interest to see you go to prison." Alex said. "You're right, you'd still find a way to hurt Norma and her sons."

Alex leaned forward in his chair.  
"The way I hear it, is you've got less than twenty-four hours before federal agents come banging on your door for murder and fraud. Not to mention that under age girl you paid off in Las Vegas a few months ago." Romero said darkly.

"How?" Bob asked. His face flushing.

"I have my connections to. I hear things from people about what you've been up to. Bodies never stay buried. Do they?" Alex said. "Juliet is telling Agent Evans everything. About how you bashed Sarah's head in with a rock. How you made Juliet bury that poor girl and she assumed her identity so you wouldn't be able to find her; silence her."

"That's no what happened, Alex." Bob breathed. "You know it."

"It won't matter." Romero shrugged. "The evidence I'm sure you think will implicate me will only lead back to you."

Bob looked like he was cornered and searching for a way out.

"Here's how I see it." Romero said. "You've got an hour to throw some shit in a bag and get out of town before the feds call me and issue the warrant. It would have been more time, but you had to play you're little waiting game."

Bob glared back at Romero who didn't flinch.

"See, Bob? I'm on your team after all." he said with a smile.

"I think you're bluffing, Alex." Bob said with a smile that faltered slightly. Alex reached into his jacket pocket and extracted a business card.

The federal seal and the letters FBI in all caps was enough to worry anyone.

"Charlotte Evans, Special Agent in Charge. She's the one conducting the investigation and she's the one who's interviewing Juliet in Colorado right now. You want to give her a call or should I?" Romero asked. "She's the one who's also been tracking your money laundering for the past seven months."

"You're telling me all this because you're going to let me go." Bob said with that crafty smile on his face. "Why?"

"You need to assure me that no harm will **ever** come to Norma Bates or her sons." Romero said.

"I promise. I'll never come back to this town again." Bob Paris said.  
Romero stood up and Bob Paris followed suit.

"I don't care where you go, Bob. Stay gone. Be out of town within the hour." the Sheriff warned.

Bob Paris said nothing, only making a quick exit out of the sitting room.

Alex loosed the ugly tie and was glad to breathe. He had been bluffing of course, but that was the thing about guilty people, they always believed you knew more than you did. They always believed their world was about to come crashing down.

He knew Bob's next move would be to go to the docks. A very nice fishing boat named 'Lucky Dog' was there under another man's name, but Bob would have access to it. Alex had only heard about 'Lucky Dog' second hand, but it was reliable information. Also, Bob would never just drive out of town. Too easy to close the roads.

Alex looked at his watch and gave himself a few minutes to get to the docks before Bob did.

~ It was irritating having to wait to kill a man. It was almost dark outside when Alex, waiting in the hold of Bob's unregistered boat, heard the bastard climb on board. From the sounds he was making above, Alex was sure he was alone.

It only took minutes to hear and feel the boat's engines start up. Feel the movement of the water to rock the hull and for Alex to realize they were headed out to sea. He counted to two hundred, before silently stepping out of the hold and surprising Bob Paris on deck.  
"Alex?" Bob said with his false political smile.  
"Don't do it, Bob." Romero said when he saw his former friend move a hand towards his hip. No doubt a gun was there and the Sheriff wasn't about to be fooled.

"Do what?" Bob asked innocently.  
"Don't reach for your gun, I'll put you down before you even figure out how to get it out of the holster. Put both your hands up." Romero instructed coldly.

Bob looked like he might try something stupid anyway.  
"I'll put three bullets in you if I see you try that again, Bob." Romero said.

Bob looked worried and then defeated at the knowledge Alex Romero had him beaten at last. He put his hands up and let Alex take the expensive hand gun off him.

"That Agent Evans call in the warrant? I thought you were going to let me go." he said.

"Charlotte is an old friend of mine." Romero said curtly. "She doesn't know a thing about Juliet. I did speak with Juliet, excuse me, Sarah, just the other day."

"You know I would never hurt Juliet." Bob said.

"See, if you went to prison, Juliet and Norma would still be in danger."

"I wouldn't. I wouldn't do anything. Alex, just let me go. I've got five million in the bag there. Take it and let me go. I promise I'll leave Juliet and that Norma Bates woman alone." Bob pleaded.

"We both know how reliable you are, Bob." Romero said.

"So what?" Bob huffed. "You're going to kill me? That's what your old man would do. Your dad wouldn't hesitate to pull that trigger and we both know it. Now you're Sheriff and you're going to run things just like him. No wonder your mother killed herself, probably her only escape-"

Alex didn't know how it happened. Everything went sideways and he was shooting Bob Paris in the chest, stomach and neck. Romero thought he fired five shots, but it could have been more. It felt good to see the smug smile finally off Bob Paris' face.

The cowardly politician was chocking on his own blood. His hands at his throat as he bled out over the deck.

Belatedly, Alex looked around and saw 'Lucky Dog' was safely out to sea. No witnesses and it was likely no one was close enough to hear the gun shots. The sun had finally gone down and he had the protection of darkness to conceal his crime.

Romero turned back in time to see Bob Paris die. His body wet from the blood loss that contaminated the deck. Alex stepped around the red stain that was creeping closer to him. It was over quickly and the Sheriff felt only the smallest pain of guilt. He still remembered the boy Bobby had been. How he insisted on playing Robin Hood while making Alex the evil Sheriff. They had played in the woods with Jimmy Brennen and Keith Summers. But those days were gone forever. There was just the men they had become now.

Alex steeled himself when he pushed Bob Paris' body into the cargo hold. He shut the door and turned the pumps on in reverse mode. Water from the ocean began pouring in at an alarming speed.

Alex watched the water submerge Bob's body before he closed the hatch.

~ Romero was in the life boat, rowing back to the shore when he heard the sounds of bending metal. The darkness out on the open water meant he couldn't see the boat that would forever conceal Bob Paris' body. No one would ever find him. Fish would eat him soon enough and there would be nothing left except maybe bones that proved nothing. Not that anyone would ever go looking for Bob Paris' on that unregistered boat at the bottom of the sea.

Romero rowed back to shore. His gaze fixed only on the line of lights in the distance that was home.


	82. Chapter 82

82.

~ "Sheriff Romero."

"Sheriff Lewis." Alex said over the phone lines. The Sheriff of Emerson county was not a sociable man, in the five terms in office, Alex never remembered the man saying more than a few curt words to Wilson.  
"Enough of this friendly banter." Lewis growled. "I got business to discuss and you won't like it."

"What happened?" Alex asked. If Sheriff Lewis was taking time and energy to call him, it had to serious.  
"Caleb Calhoun was just released from lock up on a technicality." Sheriff Lewis said.

Alex felt his heart mis a beat and start to speed up.  
"What?"

"Afraid so. Something to do with chain of evidence. Apparently, the original crime scene documents were lost and the only documentation of the van were done after it was taken to impound."

Alex closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair. Wilson hadn't covered his track good enough. He had gotten rid of all those pictures Alex had made that tech take and all the evidence she had collected before the van was towed away.

"Nothing from the van can be used in the case now because it was collected after police had possession of the vehicle for more than twenty four hours. Defense can claim police planted evidence. The van is out, fruit from the poison tree, my friend." Sherif Lewis said. "Reasonable doubt is all over this mess and the DA demanded Caleb Calhoun be released rather than go to the expense of a trial that he would lose.

"That's bad news." Alex groaned.

"Yeah, a little girl's killer being set free is never good news, Sheriff Romero."

"Wait, what about the kidnapping charge?" Alex asked.  
"He's been in lock up now for over seven months." Lewis said. "He was released but put on probation with an order to appear before the court on the kidnapping charge next month. Smart money is that Caleb Calhoun will walk with time served."

Alex swallowed the profanity he wanted to spew out at the idea kidnapping Dylan was only worth seven months.

"When is he scheduled to be released?" Alex asked. He wasn't sure how he was going to break the news to Norma, but it had to be him to tell her. He couldn't risk her running into Caleb again.

"You don't understand, Sheriff." Lewis said. "Caleb was released last night by his lawyer. I only got the call today."

"What?" Alex sat up straiter in his chair. "What time was he freed?"

"Around midnight last night, Sheriff."

"He could be anywhere by now." Alex said darkly.

"Settle down, I got more bad news for you. It seems that Rey and Franny Calhoun were released on bond by their son's lawyer last night to."

"They had had another week to go on their time." Alex reminded the Emerson county Sheriff.

"All I know is they were released on bond because of good behavior." Lewis said.

Alex felt his blood pressure rising and he started to grind his teeth again.  
"I know it's not what you'd want to hear Sheriff." Lewis said.

"It's not." Alex agreed. "But thank you, Sheriff."

~ Alex left his office and immediately found Washington and Tyler. They were his two most trusted deputies with whom he relied on more than anyone.  
"The camp sights." he said when they notice the Sheriff of White Pine Bay looked more annoyed than usual.  
Washington understood immediately what Romero was talking about and shook his head.

"We didn't find anything, Sheriff. No abandoned cars, no camper left unattended. If the Calhoun's were sleeping rough, they were not doing it at a camp sight in this county." the deputy said.  
"Sheriff, there are hundreds of places they could have been hiding out. Who knows how many abandoned cabins there are in the woods." Tyler reminded him.  
"Ray and Franny Calhoun, along with their son Caleb, have just been released from lock up because of a technicality with the chain of evidence. They were released more than ten hours ago." Romero explained carefully.  
"You want me to go to Pine Valley Lane?" Washington asked.  
"No, I'll pick her up myself." Alex said. "I want you two to start going through the impound log and call the bus station. The parents got here somehow. By bus or car and if it was by car, we've most likely already impounded it."

He was turning to leave, everything was taking too long.  
"All of impound has already been accounted for, Sheriff." Washington reminded him. "You know we did that when we were still searching for the camp sight."

"Check again!" Alex practically barked at his men.

~ "Mister… Sandman… I'm so alone. Bum, bum, bum, bum. Don't have nobody… to call my own. Bum, bum, bum. Please turn on your magic beam… Mister Sandman bring me a dream." Norma sang as comically as possible while she kept the cords on the new piano basic enough for Norman to follow.

"You have to sing it with me, honey." she encouraged her son. Norman grinned up at her and she saw that he looked more like her child than Sam's. Norman had her own eye color and sometimes sad expression. Luckily, just now, he was happy and smiling.

"Mister… Sandman…" she sang slowly.

"Yes?" Norman asked in a deep voice that made Norma's heart fly wild with happiness.

"Bring me a dream. Make him the cutest… that I've ever seen."

She sang while watching her son watching her play. The little boy fascinated by her efficiency on this magical instrument that was now in their home.

Norma had always been proficient on the piano. Ever since she was a little girl and the family had stayed for over a year at her grandmother's house in Ohio. Norma had taken to the lessons her grandmother had inflicted on her and Caleb. She learned her cords in just one day and was able to read sheet music after just one week. Her grandmother had said she was a natural and needed real lessons. Norma's parents had refused of course. The very idea was laughable.

Still, it was the only talent Norma had ever mastered quickly and effortlessly. She played everyday after school and was able to learn new sheet music with ease. Then her grandmother had died and her parents moved again. Occasionally, Norma had access to a piano. Caleb had even given her a cheap electric keyboard for a birthday present one year. She tried to keep up with her practicing, but it was hard with the lifestyle her parents lead.

Maybe it was the longing to go back to those happier times with her grandmother teaching her to play, maybe it was the fact her birthday was tomorrow and she was another year older, but she impulsively decided to buy the piano at the local music supply shop.

It was perfect for her little home. It was simple and stood against the wall so as not to dominate the whole room. It was a warm faded yellow color and even painted with washed out flowers and leaves. Norma liked it right away because it reminded her of her favorite movie, "Casablanca". She'd had the money to purchase it, and without thinking twice, she gave herself the birthday present she'd always wanted.

Now, she had this beautiful thing in her home and she could play any time she wanted and teach the boys to play to. No one would get drunk and yell at her for some quite. No one could tell her it had to be left behind. It was hers, forever.

"Please, Please, Please… Mister Sandman…. bring me a dream." Norma sang and made sure to finish with a flourish to impress her son. Not that it was that hard to impress a child his age. Norman grinned up at her.  
"Pretty singing." he said.  
"Thank you, honey." Norma told him and smoothed out his ruffled hair. She kissed the top of his head and turned her music book to find another song he might like.

"Here we go, sweetheart." she said and started to play "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for him. Norman immediately recognized the song and focused on the one character from the movie he liked.

"Toto to?" he asked happily.  
"Toto to." Norma nodded and didn't lose pace with her playing till there was a loud knock on her front door.

Immediately, Norma felt her heart racing. No one stopped by her home without calling first. She wasn't expecting any visitors and the last time someone knocked on her door like that, it was Sam coming to hurt them.

"Stay here, Norman." she ordered and slipped off the piano bench and quietly walked to the front door.

"Mother?" Norman called. Her son was worried because she was worried. Norma peered out the window to see a man standing on her front porch looking angry and impatient.

Norma sighed and opened her door.  
"Hi, Alex!" she said with a surprised smile as soon as she saw him face to face.

Sheriff Romero quickly stepped into her home without being asked.

"Norma." he said curtly. His voice professional. "Are you here alone?"

She felt slightly alarmed when he met her eyes like that. His tone and body language insistent on her answering him.  
"It's just me and Norman." she told him.  
"No one's been calling you?" Romero said and took the liberty of doing a quick search of her home. The Sheriff, in uniform, going from room to room and even looking in closets. Norma noticed his hand was on the holster of his side arm like there was something dangerous in her home.

"Sheriff, what's wrong?" Norma asked him. Clearly this wasn't a social visit. Alex looked upset and angry.

He finally stopped his search in the kitchen and waved for her to come to him. She glanced back at Norman and saw her son, as usual, wasn't interested in the goings on of adults.

"There's no easy way to say this." Alex sighed.  
"What is it? Is Dylan okay?" she gasped. Her oldest must have been in some accident. "He's dead isn't he? Oh, God!" Norma started to breathe fast. She felt faint with the idea of her son dying.  
Alex closed his eyes in mild annoyance that she would even jump to that conclusion.

"No, Norma. Dylan is fine." he assured her.

As if by magic, Norma immediately felt better. Her panic subsided and she felt calmer at the idea that Dylan was safe only because Alex said so.

"Oh, Okay." she breathed. "Okay, good."

"Norma." Alex said. He took a moment to look at her face. His own face seemed saddened for some reason. "Your parents and Caleb have been released."

Norma stared back at him as if he'd just said the impossible. She didn't understand what was happening. Her mind seemed to have rejected it and closed a wall around the idea that such a horrible thing was real. She took a step back from him and swayed slightly.

She felt Alex grab her arm to prevent her from fainting.

"What?" she said. Her knees feeling weak as the news finally hit her. "You said they would be in for thirty days. Caleb? He's out to?"

"There was a technical error in the chain of evidence for Caleb. He was freed because the DA knew he'd lose. He still has to appear in court to answer for the kidnapping charge. Good behavior and Caleb's lawyer bailing them out is what released your parents." Alex explained.

"The restraining order?" she asked. "You said they won't be able to come near me."

"I put it in my name so they won't come near me. Norma, I'm going to take you and Norman to the farm for a few days. I'll stay away if that's what you want. I just want to make sure you feel safe." Alex explained. "No one will think to look for you there."

Norma felt her head was spinning.

"You said you were going to run them out of town." Norma cried softly. "I trusted you, Alex."

"We haven't been able to find where they've been staying." Alex explained calmly. "They were released at midnight last night and we don't know where they are now."

"Maybe they left. Maybe they just left." Norma said. She was breathing wrong. Her intake of air was too fast and she felt light headed.  
"I hope they have." Alex said soothingly.  
"Dylan is at camp. He isn't here." Norma panted. Her world was spinning out of control. Everything was upside down. The colors were all wrong.  
"Norma, I need you to breathe normally."

"Norman?"

"Norman's fine. We're going to pack a bag now."

"Norman, we're okay, Honey." she cried.

She felt Alex pull her back to him. Felt her body resting on his. His arms wrapping around her in a protective embrace. Her anxiety and fear subsided as soon as she was safely nestled against his chest. She was like a child being soothed by a loving parent.

"It's going to be okay." he whispered. "Nothing bad will happen to you or Norman."

"I want to go back to the farm." Norma moaned when her world turned right side up again.

 **I'm sorry it took so long to post. I'm way behind on my story. I went to my first Al-anon meeting tonight. It's for the families of alcoholics which my dad was a serious victim of and what most likely killed him. It felt really good and really empowering to talk to people who know what I'm going through and tell me I'm brave and there is no shame in needing to talk about it.**


	83. Chapter 83

83.

~ "Was that you I heard playing the piano?" Alex asked once they were out of the village and driving towards the maze of dirt roads that would eventually take them to the reclusive farm. Norma had to admit, it would be difficult to find Alex's go to hide out if you didn't know the way. None of the roads were marked and half of them were overgrown. It would be easy to become lost and take a wrong turn.

Maybe the difficulty in finding this place, was part of the reason she always felt safe there. They were an island unto themselves when they escaped to the clearing with it's weathered red barn and solidly built house.

"What?" she asked and turned to Romero. Her mind had felt underwater since he'd dropped the bombshell that her parents and Caleb were out and most likely coming to find her.

"The piano?" Alex asked. "I heard piano music coming from the house when I walked up. I heard you singing."

"Oh." Norma breathed and tried to shake off the feeling of her entire body going numb. "Yes, I used to play. A long time ago."

"You sounded very nice. The singing." he said gently and looked back at her.

Norma watched him drive from the passenger side of the Sheriff's SUV. That wonderful feeling of being cared for came over her the moment she had climbed in and he had started the engine. When the doors closed and they were once again under Romero's care, she knew nothing bad could happen.

"Why is it I always feel safe with you?" she asked weakly. She immediately bit her bottom lip and tried to hold back tears. She hadn't meant to ask such a melodramatic question that had no real answer.

Alex's face remained serious. He focused on the winding road ahead and refused to look back at her.

"Because I'm magical." he said. "Remember?"

Norma felt her body become lighter at the memory of the last time he had said something like that. She had been at the children's hospital in Portland and was so worried about Norman, she had called him just to hear his voice. A smile felt awkward as it started to bloom over her face, but she found it made her feel better to smile.  
"Unicorn." she said weakly.  
"Unicorn." he nodded.  
"We're such dorks." she laughed suddenly and wiped away tears.

She glanced at Alex and caught him stealing a look at her.

"So, the piano." he said.

"Yes."

"You never mentioned you could play. What other talents have you been hiding, Mrs. Bates?"

"Well, apparently I can cause a huge amount of crazy people to gravitate towards me." she said bitterly. "I'm not sure if that's a talent, Sheriff."

"This is only temporary." he said. "I've got my entire department looking for Caleb and your parents right now. His lawyer hasn't been returning my calls, but as soon as he does, I'll have a personal sit down with Caleb."  
"What are you going to say?" Norma asked worriedly.

"I will very politely tell him to stay out of my county." Alex told her. "I'll do the same with your parents."

"Politely?"

"Yes, politely." he insisted.

Norma felt her smile coming back.

"You don't believe me?" Alex asked with his own grin mirroring hers.

"No." she said teasingly.  
"I can be a nice guy."

"No, you can't."

"I'm nice to you and the boys."

"We're the exception." she reminded him. "You're pretty mean to everyone else."

"That's not true, I'm nice to Sybil."  
"Only because she'd kick your ass, Sheriff."

"She couldn't kick my ass, Mrs. Bates." Alex said. He seemed to be thinking over the possibilities. "She wouldn't get very far before she'd have to take smoke break."

"I'm telling her you said that!" Norma teased. She pretended to be outraged that Alex would dare to make fun of Sybil Lawson.

"She knows she's a chain smoker." Alex reminded her.

They drove down a dirt road that would take them to the farm again.

"I think I should get a gun." she said suddenly.

"No."

She turned to Alex who looked serious. His face hardened to that of Sheriff Romero.

"Why?"

"Because owning a gun, especially with young children in the house, is never a good idea." Romero said.

"Alex, people want to hurt me. Want to kidnap my child. If I'd had a gun when Sam had forced his way into my home-"

"He could have gotten it away from you and killed you." Alex interrupted. "He could have shot and killed Dylan and Norman. The boys could have found it and accidentally shot themselves. You could have accidentally shot the boys, shot me or another innocent person. The list goes on."

Norma glared at him angrily.

"You're not trained in fire arms." he argued.  
"Why don't you train me, Sheriff?" she argued.  
"No. I don't want you to have a gun in the house. It causes more problems than it solves." he said.

"You say that but you carry a gun everyday." she pointed out.

"Because I'm a Sheriff, Norma." he said quickly. "I've been shooting guns since I was eight."

"Eight?" she gasped. "You're not teaching Dylan to shoot."

Alex pulled up to the driveway of the farm and she saw he looked amused as well as annoyed. It was an interesting combination.

"Of course I'm going to teach Dylan how to shoot." he sighed.  
"No, you're not!" she said and resisted the urge to smile. It felt wonderful to argue with Alex again. A thing that was normal and put her at ease.

"How is he going to learn to shoot if I don't teach him?" Alex grinned once the SUV was parked and they had both climbed out. Romero opening the back door to let Norman out. The little boy jumping free of the confines of the SUV and starting to run on the grass.

"Why would he need to learn to use a gun?" Norma asked and kept an eye on her son running wild.

"Men need to learn that skill." Alex shrugged.  
"But you won't teach me?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Too dangerous."

"Too dangerous? Why? Because I'm a woman?" she huffed. "Because I'm a mother?"

"Honestly?" Alex asked as he unlocked the front door and she quickly followed him inside. "It's because if you get a gun, I think you won't have any problem using it."

"Well, that's the point isn't it?"

"It's not the point. It's for self protection, Norma."  
"You don't think I need to protect myself?"

"I think you have me."

"What if you're not here?"

"Why wouldn't I be here?"

"What if you're not?

"Norma, we're talking in circles." Alex sighed.

They were in the living room and she felt the coziness and comfort of the old farm house quickly seep into her bones.

"Do we have anything for dinner?" she asked.

"I'll have Washington deliver some supplies. Deputy Taylor is in your house now." Alex explained.  
"What? I locked it. How did he get into my house?" she asked.  
"I made a copy of your house key." he explained.

"What?"

"In case I needed a copy." he shrugged.

"Wait, so when you gave me my key back, you could have gotten into the house anyway?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes." he said.

"Alex!" she gasped.  
"If there was an emergency, I might need to let myself in." he explained.

"What emergency?"

"Like the one we're in now."

"You could not have seen this coming." she argued.

"I'm a Sheriff, Mrs. Bates, I see danger coming a mile away."

Norma almost burst out laughing but managed to stop herself.

"You're not funny, Sheriff." she lied.

"Yes I am."

"No, not even a little." she insisted and started to smile. "You're not cute or funny."

"I'm cute and funny." he said in shock that she would say otherwise.  
"No." she shook her head and they turned to the large windows to see Norman running around in the grass.

It was almost serene to watch the little boy running outside with the summer sunshine spilling over the yard. The grass was already too long but it added to the carefree setting.

Norma gasped when her son tripped over a rock and fell hard on the ground. The little boy immediately looking around for her to come to his aide. His face turning red and scrunching up as he started to cry.  
"Norman!" she gasped and felt her body want to spring into action.  
"Stay here." Alex ordered and took hold of her arm. She wanted to break free but Alex was moving behind her. His hands resting on her hips, gently securing her to her place inside.

"Watch." he told her. He leaned in closer to her and she could feel his breath in her ear as they looked out the window at Norman.

She wanted to go to her son, but Alex held her firmly back. Norman cried for a few seconds, less than a minute, before he realized no one was coming. His mother watched as the little boy picked himself up and, looking insulted that no one had coddled him, walked away from the rock that tripped him. A disgruntled look on his sweet face.

Norma was amazed to see her youngest was quickly running again and had found the stash of old toys from the last time he was here. Norman had always been content to play alone, where Dylan had to have others around him.

"See? He's fine." Alex whispered as they moved to another window to watch her son play.  
"You should have let me go to him, Alex." Norma snapped. She didn't like being told not to be her son's mother. Not to take care of him when he was hurt.

"We can't baby him forever." Romero said. "Dylan was right, the other kids will make fun of him."

"I don't care about the other kids. He's still a baby."

"He's almost four."

"He's still a baby."

Alex and Norma turned away from each other in frustration. Clearly, things were not going to be resolved easily on the issue of Norman.

"I have to go." he said at last.

"What? Why?" she asked.  
"I have to go tell Gemma Harper's parents the man we think killed their daughter has been released."

Norma felt her sprits fall. All annoyance she had for Alex vanished when he mentioned the poor dead girl he would never be able to shake.

"I'm sorry, Alex." she sighed.

"It's okay." Romero said. "I'll have Washington bring you some supplies."

"When will you be back?" she asked. She followed Romero who was already walking away, out the door to his SUV.

He turned and she almost collided into him.

"Do you want me to come back?" he asked.

"Of course."

"Because I thought we agreed you wanted to be on your own." he reminded her.  
Norma tried to look casual. Her shoulders hunching slightly.

"I do, but I also want you here." she said.

Alex looked like he was thinking it over. His jaw working back and forth she was concerned about his teeth now.

"I'll be back around ten, Mrs. Bates." he said.

Norma smiled, but she knew it was a sad, lonely smile.  
"Thank you, Sheriff." she said weakly and watched Romero climb in the SUV and leave them. The feeling of safety and comfort was leaving with him. She was on her own.

 **Sorry my updates have been so late. I've been super busy and people won't stop calling me.**


	84. Chapter 84

84.

~ "You said that he was going away for good." Mr. Harper said. "You said Caleb Calhoun was going to be in prison forever."

Sheriff Romero took a long breath before he tried to explain.

"There was some kind of breakdown in the chain of evidence." he said.

"What kind of breakdown? Someone didn't do their job and now a baby killer is free?" Mr. Harper sobbed.

Sheriff Romero looked away as the man started to cry. The cozy little home was drastically different from the last time he had seen it. The family structure, the child that kept them bonded together was violently ripped away. In the wake of such an awful tragedy, the family looked to have fractured beyond repair. Romero saw evidence of that in the housekeeping, or lack of it. Fast food take out bags were cluttered in corners, and there was a sour smell in the air from something in the house being neglected. Junk was stacked on the dinning room table, flies buzzed around the kitchen sink.

Gemma Harper's home had been comparable to Norma's in cleanliness. It had reminded Sheriff Romero of a comfortable place to live. Now, it looked like a bad dream.

He wondered if anything happened to Dylan or Norman, if their mother would fall into such an abyss.

"We don't know what happened." Romero said calmly. "But we will find out."

"You know my wife won't get out of bed? She won't eat. She just sleeps all day." Mr. Harper sobbed.

Romero tried to remain professional and detached.

"Gemma was our child. Our whole world. You know what it's like to lose a child, Sheriff?" he asked.

"No." Romero said sadly.  
"I pray you never do." the distraught father said. "Now you tell me this son of a bitch that killed my baby is free? What if it was your little girl, Sheriff? What if he'd killed your baby?"

~ Alex would never get used to dealing with dead children. The drug dealers, the trimmers, the money men, the Sam Bates' and Bob Paris' of the world, were fine. Dead children were another story. It wasn't just one life that was lost, but there was a massive ripple effect of grief that seemed without end.

For the parents, they had put their hopes and dreams into this little person who carried their entwined genetic codes. Their child was more than a long term investment in their own legacy, but an enduring reason to keep striving for better things.

The reason Norma tried so hard wasn't for herself, it was for her boys. Norma would never be able to recover from such a loss if something happened to Dylan or Norman. Especially if they were lost like Gemma had been.

It was a connection he, as a childless bachelor, couldn't understand. Not really. Sure he could treat the boys like they were his, if he and Norma could stop bickering like children and resolve their issues, the thought occurred to him to adopt the boys.

But he had no real child of his own. No decedents or bloodlines to tie him into the next generation. No one who looked like him, shared his story and his legacy. When he was gone, what would he leave behind?

Maybe it was a blessing he was doomed to be childless. There was always that fear of losing a beloved child the way Gemma had been lost. His child would be more high profile to. Anyone who wanted to hurt him would surely go after his family. Sheriff Alex Romero already had a lot of enemies.

~ Romero pulled back up to the Sheriff's station after leaving the Harper family. He felt slightly nauseous from being in that house. It was like that place was tainted somehow. Or maybe he just felt guilt for agreeing to Wilson's plan to frame Caleb Calhoun, only to have it backfire.

"Sheriff." Washington called as soon as Romero walked through the door. "Sheriff Lewis wants you to call him. Something about Calhoun's lawyer."

"I'll call him back."

"Sheriff, I've been fielding calls all day from papers wanting a statement from you about the release of Mr. Calhoun." Clarice said urgently from her desk.

"No comment." Romero said as he walked past all of them.  
"Sheriff, we still don't have anything on any camp sights or any of the summer cabins. Not even a motel room." another deputy said.  
"Keep looking." Romero said.

"Sheriff, the highway patrol called and wanted to know what car the lawyer was driving for Mr. Calhoun." a rather green deputy who was too young for this work asked.  
Romero stopped in his tracks and felt his teeth hurt from obsessively grinding them.

"The lawyer's car?" he asked the rookie.  
"Yes, Sheriff." the younger man nodded eagerly.

"You don't know how to perform a revers vin number check?" Romero asked. "You pull up the name and DMV registration and cross check with insurance coverage. It always gives you the make, model and color of the vehicle."

Romero turned to everyone in the room. All of them wanting him to make a statement or solve a problem for something he didn't even want to be a part of.  
"Are there anymore stupid questions?" he barked.

The room fell into a heavy silence.

"Good." he said darkly and retreated to his office.

~ Norma picked up the phone on the second ring.

"Hey." Alex's voice came over the line.  
"Hi, Alex." she breathed in relief. "Are you okay?"

She heard him exhale a gentle laugh.  
"You always worry about me, don't you?" he said.

"Not always." she admitted. "When are you coming home?"

"Not for a few hours. It's chaos here." he admitted.  
"I'm sorry." she sighed. "You talked to Gemma's parents?"

"Yes." he said. His tone abrupt and cold.

"Did you want to talk about it?" she offered.

"No." he sighed "Not really."

"Okay." she agreed.

"How's Norman?" he asked.

She grinned at the round about way Alex expressed himself. His way of asking about her well being was through her kids.

"Norman is doing very well." she smiled. "We had that summer rain storm and he played in the mud for a while."

"That's great." Alex said and she thought he sounded happy to hear it.

"I had to wash him down with the garden hose before I let him come into the house again." she told him.

"It's good for him." Alex chortled.

"You think everything dirty and dangerous is good for him." Norma huffed.

"It is."

"So, a three year old driving a car without a seatbelt is good for him?"

"An almost four year old, and yes, I do." Alex said.

"Hmm."

"He was on my lap the whole time. I had complete control of the car." he said with a touch of mischievousness in his voice. "You know I would never let anything happen to either one of the boys."

"I know." Norma said.

"This thing with Gemma Harper, it has me thinking."

"About what?"

Alex sighed heavily over the phone.

"About what I have, what I don't have." he said vaguely. "What I have to lose."  
"What do you mean?" she asked.

"What would you do if something happened to Norman?" he asked. "If he was taken form you like Gemma was?"

"Don't say things like that, Alex." she said quickly. "Not with all this going on.

She looked towards the kitchen table at Norman eating his lunch. Her beautiful son, so innocent and pure to the world looked back at her sweetly. There was grape jelly around his mouth, making him look more endearing.

"Sorry." Alex's voice came back to her over the line. "I just can't stop thinking about it. "If we had… if I had a child that was taken."

"If something like that happened to Norman," she sighed. "I think it would kill me."

She felt the weight of her own sadness touch him over the phone line.

"I'm sorry." he said. "I shouldn't have upset you."

"No, it's okay." she told him. "I was already upset when you called."

"Why?" he asked curiously.

"I was going through your old records and found you had a copy of 'Flashdance'. Alex, I mean, my God." she said in a harsh judgement of his taste in music.  
"It was the 80's and that was a popular soundtrack. All the girls loved it. Why are you looking through my stuff?" he laughed.  
"It's very educational." she teased. "I found your family photo album to. You were a cute kid."

"I'm still a cute kid." he argued.  
"Well, come home soon and we can look through more of your stuff together." she offered.

"Yeah, you never did tell me where you hid my old playboys."

"All your Marylyn Monroe wannabes?"

"That's them."

"Well, come home soon and I'll show you were I hid them." she said suggestively.

"Mrs. Bates, you need to control yourself. You're talking to law enforcement." he said authoritatively.  
"Whatever you say, Sheriff." she said innocently.

There was a moment, over the phone lines where she sensed he wanted to say something meaningful to her. Something that would change things. Instead, a silence filled the space between them.

"Um… I should get back to work." he said awkwardly.

"Okay." she agreed helpfully.  
"Are you okay there?" he asked.

"I'm fine." she told him.

"Do you need anything from town?" he asked.

"Whatever you want for dinner." she told him.  
"Okay. Frozen dinners it is." he said.  
"Alex." she warned him.

"Okay, Mrs. Bates. You win." he chuckled.

"Thanks for admitting defeat, Sheriff."

"Um…" he stuttered into the phone. That feeling that he wanted to say something more was back. She waited, knowing he couldn't be rushed.

"Gemma Harper…" he said slowly. "Makes me think a lot about…um… what it would be like to have a child, love a child, then to lose it."

"It would be the worst thing in the world, Alex." she told him honestly.

"I try to imagine who badly it would hurt to lose the boys. To lose you."

She took a deep breath. She could feel her heart wanting to go under again. Take the plunge back into loving him.

"We're not going anywhere, Sheriff." she said calmly.  
"Better not, Mrs. Bates."

~ Norma hung up the phone and looked back at her son. She resisted the urge to wipe his mouth free of the grape jelly and instead held a napkin up for him.

Norman took it and cleaned his face with it clumsily. Maybe Alex was right and she shouldn't baby him so much. Other children were cruel and would pick on her son if they sensed weakness. Dylan's bullying was just a precursor to what Norman could expect once he started school.

They didn't understand that Norman had such a kindness about him. His soul was like an artist. Something too fragile to survive this world without her. Alex and Dylan wanted him to toughen up, but Norma wanted to keep her son beautifully innocent forever.

There was a loud knock on the front door and Norma was pulled from her thoughts about Norman and his future.

"That's Deputy Washington, Norman." she said taking his plate away. "We need to open the door for him and say hello."

"Okay." Norman nodded and boldly went to answer the door. She watched her little boy struggle with the knob before opening it. Her heart happy to see him growing up, yet at the same time saddened by his rapid course into adulthood.

She felt all the air leave the room when she saw their visitor wasn't Deputy Washington with supplies at all, but Caleb.

That horrible monster from her past taking human form and staring at her with her oldest son's face. She was shaking horribly when their eyes meet and he advanced into the room. His large body pushing little Norman aside and making it to where she stood in just a few strides. She tried to back away, but her mind was in such a state of shock, she couldn't make her feet move.

"Caleb…" she managed to eek out before his large hands were grabbing ahold of hers in a well practiced way that he knew she couldn't break free of. He was much stronger than she remembered. Much faster and more forceful. It was fear that caused her to not try to get away. Fear in knowing what he would do to her if she fought back. If she resisted in anyway. He would hurt her if she so much as breathed wrong.

"Norma Louise." he whispered. His large hands pushing her body into his so she couldn't escape. She turned her head away from his as he started to tell her how much he had missed her. She could smell the heavy, foul stench of booze on his breath.

"Caleb, you…you can't be here." she stammered. Her breath coming short from the lack of oxygen in the room.

"It's okay." Caleb said and pulled away from her. His large ape like hands, their father's hands, still holding her arms so she couldn't get away. "It's okay, I've got a car to take us to a nice place."

"No." Norma whispered. "No, Caleb, you have to leave."

" **We** have to leave." Caleb insisted. His hand twisting her arm slightly.

"Owe!" she cried pitifully.  
"Norma Louise, you know it's time to go. Mom and Dad are waiting." Caleb insisted. His body was so massive that she wouldn't be able to pull away.  
"Caleb, how did you find us?" she cried. "This isn't my house."

"Easy." Caleb huffed. "I used to work in construction for homes and stuff. All you have to do is visit the tax office and pay some money to get a listing of local properties and who owns them. Sheriff Alex Romero owns this place. I figured you'd be here shaking up with him."

"Caleb!" Norma gasped and regretted trying to pull away. Her brother jerked her arm so hard she heard a pop. "Listen, listen!" she panted. "This is a cop's house! One of his deputies will be here soon. If you take me out of here, Sheriff Romero will come after you. He's crazy. He'll shoot you dead."

Caleb didn't seem to care. He pulled Norma towards the door with such force, she tripped over a rug and feel. He shoe coming off before Caleb jerked her roughly on her feet again.  
"Mother!" Norman cried.  
"It's okay, honey!" Norma said and reached out for her little boy. She grabbed her son as soon as he was close enough. Her arms holding him as tightly as she could. Caleb, the need to have her all to himself, tried to pry Norman away from his mother.

"Let go!" He shouted and tried to force them apart. Norma's maternal instincts kicked in. The same instincts that made her take Sam's abuse so Norman or Dylan wouldn't be hurt. She curled her own body over Norman's and refused to budge.

"Have it your way then!" Caleb barked and pulled Norma by the arm. She almost let go of her son, but Norman held fast to his mother.

"Caleb!" she cried. Her other shoe coming off when he pulled her onto the porch. "Don't do this!"

"Don't do what? Get my family back together? Now, where's Dylan? Where's my other nephew?" Caleb demanded.

Norma refused to answer, she managed to pick Norman up, her little boy too heavy, but she managed. She wouldn't let him go for anything right now.

"Be that way. Get in." her brother ordered. He opened the door to a shinny black luxury car Norma knew couldn't be his.

Again, it was fear that made her comply with Caleb's orders. She knew how easily those ape like hands could hurt her. Hurt her small son.

"Get in!" he barked and Norma jumped.

She placed Norman in the front seat before getting in next to him. It occurred to her to try and run, but where? Caleb was stronger and faster. Then there was Norman to think of. How could she escape with such a small child?

She watched, feeling helpless with fear as Caleb walked around the car to the drivers side. The whole car moving when his large body collapsed into the seat.

' _Alex_.' Norma thought. ' _Alex, please come. Please help us._ '


	85. Chapter 85

85.

~ Alex looked over the fax that Sheriff Lewis had sent to him. It detailed everything that Caleb Calhoun's clever lawyer had claimed would be inadmissible in court. The most problematic being the evidence Alex had the crime scene tech log in at the scene and which went missing. Wilson was so eager to frame Caleb, to have him take the fall instead of Blair Watson, he had gotten rid of the pictures and fiber samples, but not the techs log book.

So, the van was out and the van was the only thing that linked Caleb to Gemma.

Alex felt his eyes start to twitch and a headache coming on. He felt exhausted and beaten by the day already. Too much had happened and all he wanted was to go home and go to sleep.

Romero leaned back in his chair and tried to think soothing thoughts. Knowing Norma, she would have cooked a good dinner for them and would say exactly the right thing to make him feel better about this crappy day. She wouldn't baby him or try to pacify him. It wasn't her way when they were together. Instead she would do him the favor of listening to all he had to complain about.

She wouldn't send him back to his rental house in the village, no, she would want him to stay over if he was willing. Alex's body felt slightly less exhausted at the idea of staying the night with Norma. He was daydreaming of various scenarios in which they were discussing sleeping arrangements when the call came in over the scanner.

He heard his name and title come over the police scanner. An address that made his heart want to leap out of his chest.

"Calling Sheriff Romero this is Washington. I'm at India number 4. The house is empty. Come back Sheriff. Over."

Romero almost fell out of his chair trying to answer the scanner on his desk.

"Washington, go to secure line Bravo. Over." he ordered.

A few seconds of adjusting the frequency and he could hear his first deputy without interference.

"What do you mean the house is empty? Over." he said hurriedly.

"Sheriff the front door was open and Mrs. Bates isn't here. Looks like they boy is gone to. Signs of a struggle. They must have been eating a meal when it happened. Dirty dishes on the table. There's no car in the drive, but the rain left us some fresh mud tracks. Over." Washington explained.

"Norma Bates and her son aren't in the house at all? Did you check the barn? Over." he called back to his deputy.

"Sir, I wouldn't have radioed in like this if I didn't believe they were missing. I've been here twenty minutes looking for them on the property and they are not here. Over." Washington called back.

"Get the polaroid from you cruiser and take pictures of the tire prints in the driveway. The ground was dry when I dropped them off. Over." Alex ordered.

"Already done, sir." Washington said.

Alex said a silent prayer of thanks for the sudden rain that day. They could determine the tires and subsequently the car from the tracks in mud.

"Good then get back here and we can run it through the computer to find a match. Over and out." Romero called back.

He stood and threw open the door to his office. He wasn't sure about his next move, but he knew Norma and her son were in danger. They would never have left the farm on foot or with someone else. Not without calling him. They knew how dangerous it could be.

Everyone in the office just beyond his stopped what they were doing when he entered the room. All eyes were on him in clear understanding that the Sheriff had something to say.

"Rodgers, I need you to put an APB out on a missing woman and her child. Possibly taken by Caleb Calhoun and his parents." Romero said calmly to a nearby deputy.

"Norma Bates?" Rodgers asked sympathetically.

"And her son Norman." Alex nodded. "Missing from India road within the last two hours."

Rodgers nodded and left the office to make the call.

"Sheriff, we still can't get ahold of Calhoun's lawyer." Clarice said. "His phone goes right to voicemail."

"Call the city police and tell them we have a possible kidnapping of a woman and minor child under the age of five. There's a chance Caleb Calhoun could be with his lawyer if he's not responding to calls."

Romero nodded to the rookie deputy who was always asking stupid questions.

"Did you find the make and model of the lawyer's car?" he asked hopefully.  
"Yes, sir. Black Lexis Sedan. Deluxe edition, only a year old." the rookie said happily.

"Perfect. Alert the Lexis dealership and inform them the owner of the car has reported it stolen. The high end models have low jack built in. We can find Calhoun and where he's going from there. Don't mention anything about a missing persons." Romero warned. "But have patrol units create road blocks for all the main ingresses."

"Yes, sir." the Rookie said eagerly.

Romero turned to Clarice. The nervous secretary looked ready to help in any way she could.  
"Clarice I need you to do me a favor and call Camp Geronimo in Montana." he said conspiratorially. "Mrs. Bates son Dylan Massett is there for the summer and I need confirmation he's alright. Tell the staff there has been a family emergency and to stand by. Make sure they don't tell the boy anything till we know more."

"Yes, sir." Clarice said quickly.

"Everyone else, be on the look out for a new black Lexis sedan. If found, do not approach. There is still a small child involved. Just radio it in, and we will keep our distance." he said to the rest of the waiting deputies.

The rest of the Sheriff's staff quickly dispersed now that they had their orders. Romero was left alone and wondering what to do next.

~ "It's okay, honey." Norma said. She held Norman tightly in her arms. Her little boy reverting back to an infant like state after the seizure had weakened him. She had grown used to these little fits since the diagnosis. They had been happening less frequently, but the sudden stress of and violence of Caleb's arrival had triggered a bad attack for him.

Darkness had fallen by the time they arrived to this place and she could barely see anything. Caleb had made them walk through a heavily wooded area after he'd hidden the car where no one would find it. When she saw the highway and the faded paint of the old motel, she knew where they were. It was a perfect hiding place. The Summer's abandoned house at the edge of town. The old victorian where no one would think to look for them because it was boarded up by the city to prevent looters.

Norma had to carry her son up the darkened concrete steps to the big Queen Anne style house. This place must have been beautiful back in the day. It was the kind of house Norma always loved and wanted to live in, but just now, it looked especially menacing.

She looked behind her at Caleb. Her brother forcing her to walk up the stairs in the darkness.

"What's wrong with him?" Caleb asked with a nod to Norman.

Norma was insulted he would even ask.  
"Nothing is wrong with him. Some strange man kidnaped him and his mother!" she snapped.

"Norma Louise." Caleb said in a sad, pitiful voice. He reached out as if to help her carry the burden of her son.  
"Don't you touch us!" Norma hissed and violently jerked away. Her foot catching on the stone steps and she almost fell with her child in her arms.

"Norma Louise!" Caleb said in alarm.

"Don't!" she turned away from him.

"Mother?" Norman croaked. His face was sweaty from his seizure and his eyes were shut tightly.

"It's okay, honey." Norma said again to her son. "It's just a game. We're just playing a game."

"I wanna go home." Norman moaned slightly.  
"We are home." Caleb said and nodded to the dark victorian house that looked riddled with ghosts.

Norma looked where Caleb had nodded and clutched her son tighter.

There, like a bad dream come to life, was her mother and father on the front porch.

 **Sorry for the short chapter. It's been a long day for me and I'm really tired. Going to go to bed early and dream about Alex Romero bravely saving Norma and her baby.**

 **Good news! The bank approved hubby and I for our home loan! I'm thinking... the exact opposite of a Queen Anne house right now.**


	86. Chapter 86

86.

~ Alex couldn't take his eyes off the rouge shoe that was left haphazardly in his living room. It's mate was on the porch as if their owner was careless and unfeeling about her things. There was a plate with a half eaten sandwich on the table and a glass of milk. Most likely for Norman's lunch. Again, it wasn't like Norma to leave dirty dishes or her shoes so carelessly out.

"Anything missing, Sheriff?" Washington asked.

Romero shook his head.

"Nothing except Norma and her son." he said.

"Why would Caleb Calhoun take Mrs. Bates and her son?" Washington asked.

Romero looked around the empty house. Crime scene had already been through and dusted for prints. They were thankfully alone to talk freely.

"Because I arrested him. Because Norma Bates is important to me. Because he wants to hurt me." The Sheriff explained. It wasn't public knowledge, not even in a small town, that Caleb was Norma's brother. Romero needed to keep it that way.

"We'll find her, sir. Her and the boy." Washington promised.

Alex looked back out on his front porch to Norma's shoe. She was barefoot now. Wherever Caleb had taken her, her bare feet would be subject to injury and cold without her shoes. It was already dark out and he wondered if she was awake or asleep. If Norman was okay. All the stress might have triggered another seizure and he hadn't had his medication. What if he had a bad episode and died? Such a thing was possible.

"Did you tell dispatch the minor child is an epileptic and in need of his medication?" Romero asked Washington.  
"Yes, Sheriff." Washington said patiently. "They know."

Romero keep his gaze focused on Norma's shoe. His mind wandering over the fact that Norman hadn't finished his lunch and might be hungry by now. That Norma herself might not have eaten. It looked like it might rain soon and he wondered if they were inside or exposed to the elements.

"It's been six hours." Alex said at last. He turned to his first deputy as if he would have answers. "Any news on the tire tracks?"

"Just that they are the same high end tires found in most luxury cars. White Pine Bay has no shortage of expensive cars, sir." Washington explained.

"I'm willing to bet it's the lawyer's car." Romero huffed. He walked out of his own living room and into the yard. Washington was quick to follow him.

"Lets drive around again. Look for anything suspicious. They have to be somewhere. The roads are blocked off for the entire county and we even have Emerson and White Water Country on alert. They have to be here." Romero said. Except it was more like he was saying this to himself. More like he needed to reassure himself.

"Yes, sir." Washington agreed. Both men taking their own vehicles to do another patrol. Romero heading south before turning down highway 80. It was still a busy highway, even with the talk of a bypass cutting the town off. Romero was in favor of the bypass. It mean that traffic would be redirected away from the quiet town he'd grown up in and preserve the wildlife. The serious tourists and outdoor types could find them, but the bad elements would hopefully stay out.

Despite many council meeting about the city's tourism and how it would be a boost to the economy, the bypass still hadn't happened yet. The way things looked now, it might never happen.

Romero was so focused on his thoughts for Norma and her son that he missed the turn off that would take him back to the village. He was doomed to drive another five miles out of his way before he could turn around again.

In the darkness, the rain had started again and Alex worried even more about Norma and her son. Surely Caleb would take them indoors. It would be too risky to leave them outside. He hoped they were safely away from the storm.

He almost drove past the old Summer's place. The Queen Anne still standing after almost a century on it's little hill. Romero managed to turn around in the deserted parking lot of the motel to go back the way he came. Out of curiosity, he looked up at the dark house. He saw the windows and front door was still boarded up. No cars were in the drive or any signs at all of looters. No one in town was stupid enough to venture into the Summer's house. A place where ghosts were free to wander.

After Keith Summers had been arrested for drunk driving last year, the bank seized the house and motel. No one in town wanted to buy the property because of it's reputation. It had always been a source of local gossip that the motel was where all the overdoses happened, all the hookers and other seedy elements of White Pine Bay seemed to gravitate towards the Seafarer Motel by the big Queen Anne House. All this was after Joyce Summers murdered her children. It was like the property was cursed somehow. No one who lived there seemed to ever have a happy ending.

Romero felt a chill run over him thinking about his school friend being murdered by his own mother. He looked away from the darkened house and drove back into town.

~ "This is a nice place. Isn't it Norma?" Caleb asked. Norma clutched her son who sat motionless on her lap. His little face seemed to be almost trance like. He didn't cry or complain in anyway about wanting to go home. Instead, he seems to have just moved outside of his body. Norma tried to get him to respond, but all he would do was stare off into nothingness. She kissed his cheek and rested his head against her chest. The two of them were sitting in a chair, well away from Caleb. She could hear the rain starting to hit the windows in what promised to be a bad storm.

In a way, she was grateful her parents had lit so many candles in the living room. The fires at least kept her warmer than if she was made to sit in the dark. She had never realized how cold these old houses could be. Especially with her shoes off and nothing but a summer dress on. The evening rain had brought with it a cold front that was unexpected during the hight of summer. The cavernous rooms of the gothic house seemed to amplify the chill in the air.

"There's even a piano." Caleb pointed out. "I know how you like to play."

Norma refused to acknowledge him. She could hear her mother in the kitchen, what she assumed was the kitchen, and the familiar smell of bad cooking wafting through the house.

"Mom and dad visited me in jail." Caleb explained. "Talked a lot about us being a family again."

Norma thought his words sounded a little more slurred than normal. He's always had a slight speech impediment. Had always been a nervous talker, but his eyes looked even more bloodshot than she remembered.  
"I was hoping you'd come and see me to." Caleb said.

Norma looked back at her brother.  
"Why would I want to see you?" she asked. Her voice barely a whisper and she felt herself shaking. Her heart was still beating too fast and she felt slightly sick.

Caleb looked insulted and confused.  
"Well… I'm family." he reasoned.  
"You kidnapped my son." she said plainly. "You… you hurt me. When we were kids."

Caleb laughed. He looked away from her as if she had been joking and laughed.  
"Norma Louise, I never hurt you. Come on." he said.

Norma glared at her brother. They both knew what she was talking about, but she decided not to press the issue. Her brother could be the kindest person in the world till his temper was roused. Then he would snap and hurt anyone in his path. The worst part of it was, he rarely, if ever, felt bad about it. It was always someone else's fault for either getting him upset to just getting in the way. It was always walking on eggshells with Caleb.

Both the Calhoun children jumped when they heard their father walking around above them. It was frightening the way he seemed to make the whole house shake when her stomped across the floor upstairs.

"They found this place last month. Before that Sheriff Romero arrested them." Caleb told her as they listened to their father move around in one of the upstairs rooms. "The place was abandoned and boarded up. But you know mom and dad, they found a way in. I don't think anyone comes around here much. Mom said their was sheets on all the furniture and stuff. It's a nice house, even without electricity."

Norma could care less about the house or how her parents were squatting there. She looked up at the ceiling and listened for her father. His footsteps making the old wood creak above her and she could tell he was about to come down stairs.

Norman seemed to sense her fear because he let out a small cry.

"Mother?" he said pitifully.

"It's okay, honey." Norma said and held him closer. "Alex will be here soon. Alex will take us home, okay?"

"You shouldn't mention that Sheriff Romero guy to dad." Caleb offered.

Norma turned and glared at her kidnapper. Caleb looked worried for her.  
"You, you see dad doesn't like that guy." Caleb explained. "He knows you were shaking up with him. That… that you know, mom and dad don't approve of that kind of thing. Not with… you know, someone like him."

Caleb looked slightly awkward and Norma knew he was trying not to sound too racist.

"Dad's so old fashioned." her brother shrugged.

Norma felt slightly sick at the idea that someone like her father thought so little of someone like Alex.

Alex Romero would never beat his children so badly they couldn't even get dressed in the morning from the bruises. He would never leave them neglected without enough food or proper clothing in the winter. He wouldn't force them to survive in a van for years, missing school and a normal childhood. Alex Romero would never abandon his children for weeks on end with no one to look after them.

Norma wanted to snarl all of this at her brother but there was clomping down the stairs and their father was in the room with them.

"That sissy lawyer went down easy." Ray Calhoun growled. The candles in the living room cast horrifying shadows over the man's face and Norma thought he wasn't aging very well. Her father had always led a rough and tumble life, but he looked far older than a man of only fifty.

"Where is he now?" Caleb asked.

"Basement." Ray said and stomped into the living room. "He was bleeding all over the kitchen where your mother hit him with that skillet. He shouldn't have been trying anything."

"What do you want me to do with him?" Caleb asked.

"The ground will be soft after the rain. You can bury him then. He's fine in the basement for now." their father said.

The older man looked at Norma holding her young son.  
"I thought you said there was another one. Where's the other one?" he asked.

"Dylan. Yeah, no he wasn't there." Caleb explained. "He wasn't at the house and she... she won't tell me where he is."

"Dylan?" her father asked. "Norma Louise, is that the kid you got knocked up with in high school?"

Norma clutched her youngest child closer to her. Norman was still blacked out. His face flushed with what felt like a fever coming on.

"Who's kid is this?" Ray motioned to Norman.

"I think he's from her second husband. He was shot and killed by Romero a while back. That's what the gossip says." Caleb offered helpfully.

"That Romero again." Ray Calhoun huffed. "Tearing families apart; why am I not surprised?"

Norma cringed when her father looked directly at her.

"And you." he growled. "You've been letting that man mess around with you?"

Norman whimpered slightly and she held him tighter. Her face buried in his hair.

"Caleb said you were at his house. What were you doing at his house if you weren't messing around with him?" Ray barked.

"Mother?" Norma cried.

"My son is sick!" Norma breathed at last. It was like she had just broke the surface of water after being trapped without air for too long. "I need to take him to the hospital. He's very sick."

"You shut up!" Ray snarled and Norman started to cry.

"Kid had some kind of a fit on the way over here." Caleb offered. "His eyes rolled back and everything."

"He must have gotten that from the father's side." Ray told his son. "Ain't nothing like that in this family."

He turned to his daughter.  
"Norma Louise, go help your mother in the kitchen. I rigged the city gas back up to the stove so she can at least cook." Ray said.

Norma clutched her baby in a more vice like grip and Norman whimpered again. She refused to move. She wouldn't go into that kitchen where her mother killed Caleb's lawyer.

"I said go help your mother!" Ray Calhoun roared and for just a second, Norma thought he might not hit her. Might not pull back those ape like hands and punch her as hard as he could.

But violence came naturally to Ray Calhoun. It was all he seemed to know. It was like slow motion, the same as it was when Sam hit her. Her body unable to move or defend herself before the blow knocked her out of the chair.

She fell, with Norman still on her lap, to the floor. The shock of being hit in the face was more painful than the actual impact.

Her body was sprawled on the floor with Norman under it. Her son starting to cry again and Norma trying hard not to cry to. It would only upset her son more if she started to cry.

"It's okay, honey." she said. "It's just a game. It's just a game."

"Mother." Norman cried. "I wanna go home. I wanna go Alex home."

"Shh." Norma whispered and ran a hand over his hair. "Shh, honey, he will. He will be here really soon, and take us home."

"Girl, you best get in that kitchen!" Ray thundered again. "Clean up that mess the lawyer left."

"Okay." Norma panted and pulled her body up. Norman wanted to hold on to her, but Caleb was pulling her son away.

"No." Norma moaned. Her face felt sore and she knew there would be a bruise there by morning. "No! You leave him alone!"

"It's okay, Norma Louise." Caleb said. "He's my nephew, I'll look after him."

"Get your hands off him!" Norma cried before her father punched her in the face again. Her world going dizzy and her vision blurring.

~ All Norma would ever remember from that night was her son crying for 'Alex Home', the smell of boiled cabbage and beans cooking. Of cleaning blood off the kitchen floor with vinegar and baking soda. Of her face hurting and her eye swelling shut. Of Caleb being too rough with her son who only wanted his mother and to go home.

She was sure Norman had another seizure while she was cleaning all the blood from the lawyer off the floor. Her father telling Caleb how defective Norman was. How it was a weakness and a boy like that should be sent to an institution.

Norma didn't flinch at the sight and smell of blood in the dark kitchen with her mother nagging her by candle light. She'd been on her hands and knees cleaning up blood in the dark before. It wasn't the first time her parents had done something like this. It wasn't the first time Caleb would have to dig a grave for someone who'd gotten in the way either.

It occurred to her, years after the fact, that the old woman who they told her was her grandmother, might not have been. Her parents had never let the poor old lady leave the house. She had seemed afraid of them, even while she had been kind enough to Norma to teach her to play piano. They had stayed at this woman's house for weeks and the old woman never was allowed to leave. Then that poor old lady was mysteriously gone. She was gone and the family was on the move again. Norma wondered only later if her parents killed her. A thought too horrible she couldn't think about it again till later.

She wasn't sure why her mother did this to people. Why her mother had such inexplicable acts of violence against people who had done nothing wrong. People who had something Franny wanted or had a life she admired.

Their transient life had meant they were never caught, even as the bodies of Franny Calhoun's victims dotted the country. What was most terrifying was how sweet and kind her mother was to strangers. How easily she could gain their trust. The same way that Caleb could act kind when he wanted to. People seemed to trust Franny Calhoun. They never thought for a second she was capable of such horror.

Norma had always been like her father. Both of them were creatures of anger and instinct. They couldn't act normal and fool everyone like Caleb and Franny could. Maybe it was Caleb's kindness and Franny's sweetness that had fooled their lawyer into trusting them. Into getting himself killed with a cast iron skillet and buried in the back yard of an abandoned house.

Luckily, Norma wouldn't remember much about that night. If her son Norman had any memories at all about what he'd seen, he never said anything. Such horrors are better left to fade away.


	87. Chapter 87

87.

~ "Dylan is on his way back from camp." Alex told Charlotte.

"My God, Alex I can't believe this is happening." his friend sighed. The two of them were driving to the small airport that was bringing Norma's oldest back home. His friend had dropped everything and came to White Pine Bay the instant Alex had called her.

"You think I shouldn't have brought him home?" Alex asked. "He's only got two weeks left. Maybe it was better to leave him up there? Until we know for sure."

"Alex, Norma and her son have been missing for a week now." Charlotte said gently. "It's like they just vanished. Dylan could have easily have been the next target. He needs to be here. He needs to know."

Alex nodded. He could feel Chuck's eyes on him.  
"How have you been sleeping?" she asked.

"As well as can be expected with all this going on. Every hour she and the little boy are missing…" he took a deep breath. "It's looking less likely that we'll find them alive."

"We can't think like that, Alex. We can't give up hope." Charlotte said.

"It's a week of not wanting to give up hope, Chuck. The first forty-eight hours, road blocks and canvasing the neighborhoods. After that, the likelihood that we will find them alive is not good. You know that as well as I do."

"What about the Lexis?" Charlotte asked. "You found the car."

"Yes, in the middle of the woods, we found the car." he said bitterly. "The rain washed any evidence away. We have nothing to go on now."

"I wouldn't say that. I've been running a profile on the Calhoun family." Charlotte said. "Raymond and Frances Calhoun were not even legally married. They met in the sixties at, get this, the People's Temple in San Francisco, California."

"Jim Jones? Jonestown?" Alex asked.

"Don't drink the Kool-Aide." Charlotte nodded. "The Calhoun's were common law married and parted ways with the church before Jones moved the operation to Brazil. Since then, it's hard to get a lock on the family."

"Norma said they moved a lot when she was younger." Alex said helpfully.

Charlotte opened the file she had obtained on the Calhoun family.

"That's putting it mildly. Raymond Calhoun was stopped for speeding in Ohio in 68', bar fights in Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia all in 69'. He paid an electric bill in South Dakota in 74', he rented a house in Virginia 76'. His wife Frances isn't on the grid at all till she gives birth to Caleb Calhoun in 1970 in Michigan. Then she pops up again to give birth to Norma in 1974. Then there is nothing, and I mean nothing, Alex until 1977 when Caleb Calhoun is even registered in school for the first time. Testing revealed he had an IQ of only 74. He would have been classified as below average. At that time, schools were not required to take kids like Caleb and it was recommended he go to a special school. According to records, when this was suggested, his father flew into a rage, was arrested for aggravated assault, and the family disappeared again."

"What about Norma?" Alex asked.

We have a little better records on Norma. She started school in 1980, but the family moved a lot and she has a lot of gaps in her record. According to her teachers, she could read and write at acceptable levels, but they were concerned about her home life. Apparently, she was coming to school in dirty clothes and looked malnourished." Charlotte explained.

Charlotte went on.

"What else? Anything else about where they might have gone? The family history is tragic and weird, but it doesn't help find them." Romero barked.

"Alex, this is how profiling works." Charlotte snapped back at him. Her bite as vicious as his bark. "You have to take inventory of the things from their past. You have to establish a pattern. A motivation for why these people do the things they do."

Alex started grinding his teeth again.

"There's more." Charlotte said. "Caleb was never registered in school after 1977. He was arrested in 82', 84' and the last time in 1985 where he was sent to a boys reform school. He aged out in 88' and vanished. He popped back on the grid in 94', working odd jobs all over the country. Arrested for drunk driving, domestic assault and then his latest trip to White Pine Bay." Charlotte explained.

"So from 88' to 94' we can assume he was living with his parents again." Alex said sourly.

"Why assume that?" Charlotte asked.

Alex clutched the steering wheel tighter. He wouldn't tell anyone, not even Chuck, Norma's secret. 1993 would be the right time Dylan was conceived.

"Something Norma said. About Caleb being home." Alex told her.

"He would have been an adult." Charlotte sighed. "If he was still living at home with his parents, it's reasonable to assume they might still be together. Perhaps a co-dependent relationship?"

Charlotte turned to Romero.

"What else did Norma tell you about her parents?" she asked.

"That she didn't want to see them." Alex said and sped towards the airport.

~ Sybil Lawson had flown to Michigan to collect Dylan and bring the child back home. As a social worker, she was trained to deal with these things and Romero had trusted her to tell Dylan what had happened. The small airport of White Pine Bay was little more than a tourist plane that took nature lovers up and around the scenic locations. Dylan and Sybil had to meet Alex and Charlotte on the runway.

Alex wasn't prepared for the look of fear in the little boys eyes at finding out his mother and brother were missing for a week.

"Mom? Is she here yet?" Dylan cried pitifully.

Alex knelt down to meet the child eye to eye.

"We're not sure where your mom is right now, buddy." he explained. "We're looking."

"Norman? He needs his medication. We should tell the pharmacy to look out for people trying to get seizure medicine for him." Dylan offered.

"That is a great idea." Romero said. He'd already put an alert to pharmacies only a few hours after Norma and her son went missing. "You're going to make a great cop one day."

"What do we do now?" Dylan asked.

"Now, we keep looking. I'm not going to stop until I find them. Look, I have Charlotte here all the way from San Fransisco. She's with the FBI, remember? And Sybil is helping to." Alex told the child hopefully.

Dylan nodded.  
"I want to help. I know a lot about Mom and where she goes." he said.

"Oh yeah? Where would she go?" Alex asked with a painful smile.  
"She likes to go to the grocery store, and to the daycare for Norman and school for me." Dylan offered.

"That's great. I want you to think of all the places your mom likes to go. I want a list, okay?" Alex said encouragingly.

"Are we going to stay at the farm?" Dylan asked. "I want to stay with you till mom comes home."

"Of course you're staying with me." Alex said. "Where else would you stay?"

"Little Bear?" Sybil chimed in and Alex looked up at the old woman. Sybil shook her head.  
"What? Dylan can stay with me." Romero told her. "It's fine."

"It's not fine, Little Bear. You're not his guardian. You're not related to him." Sybil told him.

"His mother and I-"

"Are not married and you're not a parent or a step parent to the minor child. I'm sorry." Sybil told him. "I have to follow the rules."

"Rules?" Alex practically snarled at the older woman. "You've bent the rules all the time, Sybil-"

"Sheriff Romero, you work sixteen hour days right now. You really think you can look after a child? Especially with everything thats going on?" Sybil said in a harsh tone Alex wasn't used to hearing from her. He looked from Dylan to Sybil in helpless furry.

"I'm sorry, Little Bear." Sybil told him. "I have to take him to a foster family."

"No!" Dylan cried and wrapped his arms around Alex's neck.

"Dylan." Romero said calmly. The weight of the little boy in his arms was the only reminder of a happy life. The only tangible thread to Norma he had left. "It's going to be okay."

"No! No, I don't want to go to a foster home!" Dylan sobbed.  
"Alex, I have to take him." Sybil told him.

"No!" Dylan cried pitifully.

"Listen." Romero said over the sobs of the little boy who was close to losing everything. "Listen, Dylan."

"No!"

"Deputy!" Alex said sharply and Dylan pulled away from him. Romero took a deep breath and went on. "Deputy, I need you to do as you're told. All my other deputies are away from their families right now. It's hard on them to. It's a sacrifice when you're on the job. Understand?"

Dylan looked sad, but nodded.

"So I need you to do your part and go with Sybil. I can't look for you mom and your brother if you're home alone. I'd worry about you too much." Alex explained.

"Why can't I look with you?" Dylan asked.

"Because those are not your orders, Deputy." Alex explained. "Everyone has a job. Your job is to stay safe."

"I'll be safe with you." Dylan said weakly.

"You'll be safer when we're all together again." Romero told him. "It's going to be okay."

"No, it won't. I'll never see you and mom and Norman again. I'll be all alone." Dylan said with tears falling down his face.

Romero reached for the Sheriff's badge that was clipped to his belt and pulled it free.

"Here. You hang onto this for me." he told Dylan and handed it to him. The little boy carefully took hold of it like the badge was a precious artifact.

"That's just temporary, Deputy." Romero warned. "You'll give it back to me when I bring your mom home. Understand?"

"I'm scared." Dylan whispered.

"I'll come see you tonight." Romero promised. "Make sure you're okay."

Dylan was hugging him again with that fierce hold Alex was afraid to break. Romero made a silent promise to Norma to never let him go. No matter what happened, no matter how things ended, Dylan wouldn't be abandoned by Alex.

~ Norma woke up in the basement again. Her head hurt and she needed water. Being confined to the dark, dank cellar was punishment for trying to escape a few days ago. She had been looking for a way out since Caleb brought her to this awful place. All the doors and windows were boarded up, even the ones in the basement and second story. Her father taking the extra precaution of nailing the windows shut and removing the doorknobs so no one could leave. She wondered how they had gotten into the house to begin with. Neither her parents or Caleb looked too spry to climb into a window.

Norma had found the stairs to the attic in the middle of the night and made the discovery that the round, decorative window wasn't boarded up and could actually be opened. It was a frighting view from the attic window, but she was growing desperate. Her parents were already making plans for Illinois and said they would need a bigger car. Ray and Franny planned to visit a 24 hour dealership not far from here. Norma knew what that meant. It meant they would come home from a test drive with a new car and the salesman in the trunk. Caleb digging a grave out back again.

So, Norma had ventured out of her room next to Caleb and tried to force the small attic window open enough to squeeze through. It was rusted, with layers of paint keeping it in place, and in the end, Norma had to break the window to edge out on the roof.

She had to leave Norman behind because her mother was insisting on sleeping with him every night. Their father, tired of stomping upstairs and down again, was content on the couch. He could also better act as a watchdog this way. So, Norma tried to make the difficult climb down the side of the roof, but she only succeeded in knocking down a few shingles before she realized there was no footing for her to climb down onto.

Caleb had heard all the commotion and found her trying to climb down anyway. His big hands grasping hold of her arms and forcing her, painfully, back inside.

"Why do you make me do this?" He had cried. "It's not my fault, Norma Louise!"

That had been the worst this time. The worst of all the times before it. She had tried to cry for help, but Caleb had his hand over her mouth. He'd almost managed to suffocate her with those large hands clamping down over her mouth and nose. She was too weak from hunger and fear to fight back, which gave him permission to do as he wanted.

After it was over, Norma had to stay in the basement. She was only allowed to come up for bathroom breaks and wasn't fed. She didn't see or hear her son at all in the house.

Norma wrapped a blanket around her body and wondered if Norman was alright. She never worried about her son more than she did now. She wondered if he had another seizure. If he had anything to eat. What her parents were doing to him.

She wandered around the dark basement and wished there was more light. It was scary down here. The ground smelled funny and the light that did filter in through the boarded up windows cast odd shadows that seemed to move on their own.

In the dark archways of the foundation, Norma thought she saw someone moving.  
"Norman?" she called out. The shadow looking like a child hiding from her.

She tried to approach it, but the shadow moved too quickly. It was moving faster that her eyes could catch it.

"Norman!" she cried out desperately. She ran around the archway and found that there was nothing there at all.

With a heavy clang, light was pouring into the basement.  
"Norma Louise!" he father was calling down to her. "Get upstairs!"

Norma froze and looked up the stairs to see her father taking up the entire with of the doorway.

"Get upstairs and help your brother." her father ordered. "Come on!"

Norma almost wanted to stay in the basement, she was safe there at the very least. But her son was upstairs and he needed her.

When she finally reached the landing, her father pushed her to the living room. Her mother was holding Norman and there was a strange woman's body on the floor.

Norma saw that her head was bleeding and Caleb was rolling the body in a rug.

"Good news, Norma Louise." he mother said happily. "Caleb found us a van to take. We're keeping it in the woods till we're ready to leave.

Norma didn't hear anything her mother was saying. She was focused only on Norman. Her son looked like he was in a trance on her mother's lap.

"Can I take him?" she asked her mother and reached out for Norman. She stepped over the body of the young woman on the floor and her mother handed her child to him with a smile.

"He's been so fussy without you, dear." Franny said pleasantly. "You coddle him too much."

"It's okay, honey." Norma said to her young son.

She watched Caleb wrap the girl who's van they were taking in the living room run. She focused on the blood on the floor with the butcher knife next to it.

"Alex will come." she whispered in Norman's ear. "He'll save us."

 **I'm really glad everyone liked the last chapter and where this story is going. Oh dear. I hope Norma and Norman make it out of this situation.**


	88. Chapter 88

88.

~ "Did you kill Bob Paris?" Charlotte asked.

Alex looked up from his newest batch of paper work. The look of surprise was genuine.

"What?" he asked.

Charlotte shrugged. The two of them were alone in his office but he wasn't stupid enough to admit to anything outlaid. Not even to her.

"It's just that he's been missing for over a week now and you haven't invested nearly as much time looking for him as you have for Norma and her son." she said.

"Bob Paris most likely skipped town. He has the money, resources and motivation to do that." Romero said. "His car was found at the marina and his ex wife is hounding him about alimony payments. Also, Bob Paris is not small child with a medical condition that requires medication and there is no evidence to suggest Bob Paris was taken from his home the way Norma was."

"I'm just saying, Alex, it looks suspicious if you don't at least investigate more." Charlotte told him.

She waved the missing persons report that Bob Paris' maid had filled out a few days ago.

"We're looking into it." Alex said.

"Good, because the last thing you need right now is to have people get suspicious as to why you're not looking into Bob Paris vanishing without a trace." Charlotte said.  
"Why would anyone get suspicious?" Alex asked innocently.

She gave him a knowing look.  
"I know yesterday was hard with Dylan. Having to let him go into foster care like that." she said.  
"As soon as Norma is home, he'll be fine." Alex said.

"What if she doesn't?" Charlotte said.

"I thought we couldn't think like that."

"We can't." she agreed. "But you know Sybil's next move will be to call Dylan's father. Are you going to be ready for that? Having John Massett take his son?"

"Norma will be home soon." Alex said stubbornly.

"I hope so." Charlotte agreed.

She took a deep breath and let it out again.

"In the meantime, I've discovered something interesting with my profile." she said.

"You and your profile." Alex grumbled. "What now? Caleb's favorite food?"

"Seems to be King Taco, but that's not what I was getting at." Charlotte said and leafed through her papers. "There is a trail of unexplained disappearances and deaths in the locations that Franny and Ray Calhoun have visited. All of them coinciding with their arrival and departure."

Alex scowled at the picture she showed him. It was an older woman in front of a piano. She was teaching a young child to play.

"Beatrice Harris. An 84 year old piano teacher in Royal, Ohio. Never married, no children, no siblings. Lived alone until 1980 when neighbors say her family moved in to help out. They stayed with her in her home for about six months till they, and Beatrice Harris suddenly vanished." Charlotte explained. "They left all her furniture and personal possessions behind to. No indications that Miss Harris was placed in a nursing home either."

"What does this have to do with Norma?" Alex asked.

"Royal, Ohio is where Norma Bates started school in 1980." Charlotte explained. "She was only in class for six months before her family disappeared without notice. Incidentally, they left Royal in March of 1981. The same time Beatrice Harris went missing."

"Norma would have only been six." Alex said feeling defensive.

"There's more." Charlotte went on. "I've got a farmer, John Taylor, in California who went missing in 1978. It seems a social worked visited the farm where he was living and found two unattended children who said their names were Norma Louise and Caleb. The little girl, appeared to be four years of age and had a burn on her leg. When asked where their parents were, they said they had been left alone for days."

Alex leaned back in his chair. The same story Norma had told him about their parents abandoning them.

"Before the social worker could return with law enforcement, the children were gone. In the back yard, they found John Taylor buried in a shallow grave. He had been stabbed to death with a kitchen knife."

Charlotte showed Alex the picture of a partially decomposed body, barely covered in dirt.

"I've got another incident with the original owner of the van Caleb Calhoun was driving. It seems the van belonged to a guy name Henry Brown who was supposed to show up for a job in Virginia. He never made it and no one reported him missing because he was a drug addict and known to flake out. This was in 1979, in Wyoming. The family was there, Alex, because Ray Calhoun was arrested in the same town and released not two days before Henry Brown was last seen." she explained.

Alex could feel his breathing coming hard.

"They're killers?" he asked. "Norma's family… they kill people?"

"You arrested Caleb for Gemma Harper's murder." Charlotte shrugged. "Why act so surprised?"

"Her parents…" Alex breathed. "I had them here in the office, Chuck. Right where you're sitting. They were vagrants. Not serial killers."

"Look at Manson." Charlotte told him. "The profile of the victim is unchanging, Alex. They always pick a single person. Living alone or traveling alone. Someone who won't be missed right away. Always an adult, never couples or families. They must have gained their victims trust because they were able to step into their lives, their home, for months at a time."

She looked at Alex, but all he could do was picture Norma as a little girl. How confusing it must have been. How horrific.  
"Sheriff Romero!" Charlotte barked. Alex sat up and looked back at his friend. "It's my professional opinion that the family is still here. That they have taken residence with an elderly shut in. Someone who isn't close to anyone in town, someone who has no family. Someone who's neighbors won't notice if they aren't seen for a while."

"We have a few shut ins." Alex said. His throat felt dry. "I'll call Sybil and get a list."

"Cross check those lists with individuals who have missed doctors appointments and who are not answering their phones." Charlotte told him.

Alex was about to reach for his phone when a thought occurred to him.

"Your profile. What did it say about them killing children?" he asked.

"I have nothing that says they killed children." Charlotte explained. "But Norma's school records show concerns that her home life was abusive."

"Right." Alex sighed. He paged his first deputy from his desk phone and began giving instructions to Washington.

"Look at the elderly and handicapped in the area. Living alone. The more reclusive the better." Romero told him. "You see the family, do not approach. There is still a small child involved."

"We can't rule out abandoned buildings either, Alex." Charlotte reminded him when he hung up the phone.

"We have a lot of abandoned cabins in the woods." he explained. "I've had search dogs over the area and they came up empty."

"What about in town?"

"The car was found three miles out of town. You really think Caleb made Norma march three miles back into town?" Alex asked.  
"You're the one that met him, Sheriff. I just gave you a profile." Charlotte said holding her file up for him to see.

Alex had to think a moment.  
"A lot of empty buildings are by the docks. No one goes there at night." he said.

"No good, people will be there during the day." Charlotte said.

"We have an abandoned house on Elmer Drive. We can start there." he said.

"What else? What about summer homes that will be empty?" Charlotte offered.

Alex nodded.

"We have plenty of those. Care taker will have come by once or twice a week." He said eagerly. "A man named Tommy White."

"A single man. All alone? Fits the profile of a victim." Charlotte said happily.

"We have about ten summer homes that are empty right now." Alex said and they both stood. "We can start there."

"What about that old house on the highway? The one with the motel out front?" she asked.

"That's the Seafarer Motel." Alex explained. "It's completely shut up and I have someone drive past it every night. We had problems with kids breaking in after Keith Summers was arrested. I was there the night Norma went missing. No lights are on. Plus it's on a busy highway, and no one reported anything odd."

"We should still check." Charlotte told him. "The Calhoun family could be planning to leave town any day now."

~ Norma held her fragile son on her lap and tried to push away the smell of her mother's cooking. She'd forgotten how careless Franny Calhoun was when it came to fixing dinners of nothing but boiled cabbage and beans. If they were lucky, Norma and her son got a slice of stale bread to eat with their meal.

The food didn't seem to bother Caleb and her father. They ate as rapturously as if it were a feast.

Norman wasn't interested in the food and she tried to get him to at least eat the bread. Her son shaking his head and wanting to go to sleep again.

"That child only wants to sleep." Franny told the table. "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing." Norma said quickly. "He's fine."

"I'm sure he'll do better once he's gotten some fresh air." Caleb offered.

"I should take him to a hospital." Norma said politely.

"No!." Franny practically shrieked. "No hospitals!"

"Damn right." Ray said callously. "Bunch of know-it-all doctors telling me about my blood."

Norma wasn't listing to her father's rant about doctors just now. She was watching her mother cover her ears up with both hands.

"Mom?" she asked and Franny looked back at her daughter with wide blue eyes. Norma tried to smile at the older woman, to show her kindness, but it was like coaxing a feral animal to trust you.  
"Mom, are you okay?" Norma asked quietly.

"Oh, yes." Franny smiled. "Now that I don't have to take those medications, I'll be fine. My brain isn't so sleepy anymore."

"Is that what happened when we were little?" Norma asked. "You were on medications?"

Franny nodded.

"We got them from the people we would visit." she explained.

"The people you would visit?" Norma whispered. Surely they meant the people who's lives they took. Who they killed. It was all coming back to Norma now that she saw things as an adult. She remembered living in other people's houses and how those people would sometimes stay, but most often times, they went away. How could she have forgotten? How could she have pushed it out of he mind?

"Mom, I need to take my son to see his father." Norma told her mother. "I can take him... and come right back."

She was whispering to her mother now, but the older woman seemed indifferent.

"You can help me, can't you?" she told her mother.

"What are you hissing about over there?" Ray growled and Norma sat up.

"Nothing." she gasped.

"She wants to take that little boy to see it's daddy." Franny told her husband in a child like voice.

"It's daddy hugh?" Ray asked. "Thought that Sheriff killed it's daddy."

"Please. Can you see? Look, he's sick!" Norma cried.

"Maybe we should just drop the boy off at an emergency room." Caleb offered.  
"No hospitals!" Franny cried.

"Please! Norman needs a doctor!" Norma sobbed.  
"No doctors!" Franny shouted. "No!"

Norma didn't have time to defend herself against the older woman's attack. She tackled Norma, still holding her son, to the ground and started trying to stab her with a stake knife.

"Mother!" Caleb shouted and Norman started to cry when his own mother let him go.

Norma saw her son had crawled under the table for safety just as Franny jammed the stake knife into her hip. Norma cried out in shock while Caleb and her father wrestled Franny off her.

"I told her. I told her not to. She never did listen to me. She's a stupid girl. Always been a stupid girl." Franny was saying quickly.

Norma sat up and looked for where Norman had hidden. Her son was still hiding under the table, but he had seen the whole thing. He had seen his mother being stabbed. Norma looked stupidly at the stake knife sticking out of her hip and, with sudden clarity, pulled it out.

She cried out at the feel of the blade's teeth tearing at her flesh when the knife came back out again. The horror of her own dark red blood was terrifying to see and she kept pressure on her wound while Caleb and Ray tried to calm Franny down in the living room.

"Norman." she gasped at her son. "Go. Go hide."

She waved at one of the cupboards around the impressive kitchen. He was so little, it would be easy to hide in this house.

"Mother." Norman cried.

"Go hide. It's just a game. I'll come find you." Norma panted and felt her warm bold oozing out of her hip.

"Go!" she cried. "Hide!"

Norman nodded and crawled away from her. His bare feet silent as he ran out of the kitchen and out of sight. Norma prayed that he would find a good hiding place. If her parents finally killed her, she didn't want her son to see.

"Alex." she whispered. "Where are you?"

She heard her father come stomping back into the kitchen and she was too weak to do anything. She looked up at his hulking figure, a stake knife would be useless against this man, but she clutched it tightly in her hand anyway.

"Please?" she asked of the man who could easily snap her neck if he wanted. "Please, don't hurt us… anymore."


	89. Chapter 89

89.

~ Norma woke up on the floor in one of the upstairs rooms. There was little boy standing over her, his sister by his side. She didn't recognize the children and they didn't say anything to her. They stood looking at her in the dark bedroom, and Norma noticed they were both dirty and their skin seemed especially pale when contrasted with their dark dirt covered clothing.

Norma blinked and their eyes changed and began to glow. She didn't feel alarm exactly, it was more like she was seeing a rare animal and didn't want to scare it away. The brother and sister, both with blue lips and glowing eyes were mysterious and beautiful. They were rarities she wasn't used to and she wanted to watch them as long as she could.

Wordlessly, the siblings glided out of the room backwards. Their movements quick and effortless as if they were made of shadows. Norma didn't hesitate to follow them and scrambled off her floor pallet to catch up with them. They were waiting for her on the landing to the stairs. Their eyes glowing a brilliant white, or maybe it was blue.

Norma didn't approach them, but hung back a little as the brother took his sister's hand and lead her downstairs. The pair of them seemed in their own world, they didn't notice her or anything around them except for the solidity of the house itself. The stairs and floors perhaps creating some kind of anchor in their world.

Norma was so intent on following the pair, she didn't realize how quite the house was. How it was daylight again and the light of morning was coming through the boarded up windows in harsh rays. Norma rounded the stairs to see the children were waiting for her before the basement door.

She gaped as the odd siblings with there blue mouths looked back at her. Their expressions were indifferent and hard to gage. She couldn't tell if they were helping her or trying to lead her into a trap.

She didn't want to look away from the children in front of the basement steps, but her other senses were telling her she was all alone in the house now. There were no other sounds that would accompany an occupied home. Squeaks in the floors, rattling of pipes, muffled voices, or other grumblings of people inhabiting the space with her. She was all alone now and had been for some time.

She kept her gaze focused on the children who began to drift down the basement stairs like they were riding down an escalator. Norma peered into the darkened basement and saw that there were others down there to. That there were shadows moving and scurrying across the dark basement.

"Norman!" she cried weakly. It hurt to talk from going so long without drinking water. Her body felt sore and stiff all over from the dehydration. If her son was down there, he might still be okay. If these other children had found him, maybe they could help them find a way out.

When Norma reached the bottom of the stairs, she realized she had been wrong. There was nothing down here at all. The basement was just as empty and barren as it had been before.

She stepped off the last step onto the basement floor and her eyes caught movement again. It was coming from the ground not five feet in front of her. Something was moving the earth, trying to claw free.

"Norman!" she cried when a little white hand appeared out of the dirt reaching for fresh air. Norma fell onto her knees and started to dig at the soft, smelly soil that stank of sour, rotting things. Her hands trying to find her son's hand again, but in her panic, she had lost sight of him. She continued to dig until she hit the rocks of the foundation. Her fingers already bleeding from the intense abuse.

"Norman?" she cried pitifully when she couldn't find her son in the freshly dug earth.

Like flowers reaching up for the first light of spring, little hands were popping out of the soil next to her.  
"No." she said and backed away from the shallow pit she had just dug trying to find her son. This wasn't right. All these hands trying to escape the dirt floor of this basement. What was happening?

"No." she whispered to herself when the bodies of children began to rise up out of the soft ground around her. Except they weren't her son. They weren't Norman, but their faces were dirty form the ground they had been placed in and their eyes were glowing. When they grabbed hold of Norma, she started to scream at the feel of their cold flesh and sharp teeth biting her.

Filled with fear, rage and the raw instinct for survival, she kicked the biggest boy away from her and raced up the stairs to the landing. The children were clawing at her with their cold fingers and she could hear them crying for their mother.

Norma reached the landing and collapsed on the floor. The children on the basement seeming unwilling or unable to follow her upstairs. She could see them, all five of them, lurking at the top of the basement stairs. Their pale faces seeming to glow as much as their eyes did. She and the children stared at each other.

' _Don't talk to them_.' she told herself. ' _Don't speak aloud to the dead. Never talk to dead things._ '

She wasn't sure where this logic was coming from. She wasn't a superstitious person by nature, but she knew if she tried to say something to these children, they would eat her alive.

So, she closed her eyes, and took a deep breathe. When she opened them again, the children were gone. Their faces and eyes were still burned into her mind. It would always be something she could never forget.

Norma stood up and backed away from the basement door. Her bare feet on the wood floors making little squeaks of protest as she backed down the hall towards the kitchen.

When she stepped in something wet and slippery, she looked down and saw the kitchen floor was covered in blood.

"Is anyone in there?" came a demanding voice from the front door. A loud rapping sound quickly following it as someone was trying to get her to open the door.

Norma was too transfixed by the blood on the kitchen floor to notice help had arrived. That help from a real living breathing person was finally here for her.

She followed the path of blood as it led to the bodies of her mother and father. Both of them stabbed repeatedly and allowed to bleed to death on the kitchen floor.

Norma wasn't sure when she started to scream. She only knew the rest of the world seemed to fall silent. She didn't even hear her own cries of fear at seeing her parents dead. Of seeing all the blood from the living room streaked across the hall floor to the kitchen. She screamed and screamed and heard nothing.

Her world was like a silent movie, complete with heroic rescue at the end.

~ It was hard to register Deputy Washington breaking down the door after he shot out the lock. Norma didn't hear the gunshots at all. Or when Deputy Washington raced towards her cries armed and ready to fire his side arm at whatever was attacking her.

Norma couldn't stop screaming. Couldn't stop the flood gate of emotion that had come over her.

"Mrs. Bates?" Washington was asking when she finally stopped long enough to breathe again. "Mrs. Bates? It's deputy Washington. I heard a scream at the bottom of the hill. Are you hurt?"

He was talking to her, she was sure of it, but she couldn't understand him. It was like he was speaking another language.

"Are you hurt, Mrs. Bates?" he asked again.

Norma was shaking and she realized now that her hands were bleeding from when she had tried to dig up the dead children in the basement.

"Mrs. Bates…." Washington was saying. He had holstered his side arm and was speaking to her gently. "Put down the knife, Mrs. Bates."

Norma looked at her hands again and realized for the first time she was holding a large butcher knife. Her hands were caked with blood that had already dried to her skin, staining her flesh.

Norma dropped the butcher knife and felt her world go sideways again. There was so much blood. Dead children in the basement, and Norman. Where was Norman?

"Mrs. Bates?" Washington was saying as everything turned black and Norma fainted.

 **Sorry for the shorter chapter. But thats where I wanted to leave off for tonight. Please follow me on Instagram at Angelofthemorning1978 for teasers for the next chapter.**


	90. Chapter 90

90.

~ "Alex!" Charlotte called out.

Romero had been peering through the windows of the fifth deserted summer house they had looked over that morning. There was no signs at all that anyone he'd been living there in months.

"No one's been here." he told her when reached him. She had sprinted from the SUV to back porch and was out of breath.  
"Chuck, this is the fifth place we've looked at. I think your profile is-"

"Washington found Norma." Charlotte interrupted.

"What?" Alex gasped in alarm.

"He found her at that big house next to the abandoned motel on the highway." Charlotte told him quickly.

"Is she…" Alex asked and couldn't find the words. Couldn't make them come out because to do so might make them real.  
"She's alive. Minor injures. She's at the hospital." Charlotte told him quickly. "Come on!"

Alex ran to the SUV and started the engine before she had a chance to even open the door.

"Don't drive all crazy, you lunatic!" Charlotte barked at him while he had to wait for her to put her seat belt on.

"This is Romero, Norma Bates is alive?" Alex said into the radio. One of the girls in dispatch came back to him.

"Yes, Sheriff. Washington was investigating the old Summers motel and house when he heard screams. He found Mrs. Bates alone and alive." the girl said.

"Where's Norman Bates? The little boy? Was he found?" Alex asked while trying to steer the Sheriff's SUV down the street. Charlotte hitting an imaginary break when he narrowly missed a car.

"No word on the missing child yet, Sheriff. The coroners van had been sent to pick up two DB's." Dispatch said ominously.

"Any identification on the bodies?" Alex asked.

"Alex, watch out!" Charlotte barked.

He swerved into the hospital parking lot and narrowly missed another car.

"Negative, Sheriff." Dispatch said. "Washington is back at the Summers house securing the crime scene."

"I'll go." Charlotte said when her put the SUV in park. "I'll go to the house, I know where it is. You stay with Norma."

"Dispatch, Agent Evans will be at the Summers house to assist with securing the crime scene. We still have a missing child in need of medical assistance." Romero said.

"Go. Go help Norma." Charlotte waved him away as he got out and she climbed into the driver's seat.

"Norma might have hidden the boy somewhere in the house. She did it before. Check under floorboards or cabinets. Check everywhere!" he called back to her.

"I will!" Charlotte told him before putting the SUV into drive and fleeing the hospital parking lot.

~ Norma woke up to bright lights in her eyes and loud voices all around her.  
"Mrs. Bates?" a man was saying. She flinched away from the light he tried to shine in her eye.

"Pupils responsive." the man said.

"Blood pressure is low." a woman said. "Did you see her hands?"

"Dehydration." the man said. "Lets start her on some fluids."

"Having trouble finding a vein."

"Mrs. Bates? What happened to your hip? Did you fall? Did someone hurt you?

"Doctor, her finger nails."

"Mrs. Bates, were you digging? You're covered in dirt and your hands are bleeding."

"No… Norman…" she panted.  
"Norman?"

"Her son's name is Norman. They haven't found him yet."

"Mrs. Bates. Where's your son?"

"He's… the basement… the other children… be… be careful. Don't talk to the children… in the basement… they…"

"She was found in the Summer's house."

"Didn't Joyce Summer burry her kids in the basement?"

"It was a long time ago, but yeah."

"Focus everyone." the man said. "Mrs. Bates, your son is in the basement?"

"Norman…. Norman, go… go hide. Run and hide, Norman." she gasped.

"Doctor, all this blood, it can't be hers. There's too much blood for those wounds."

"Cut her clothing off, it's evidence."

"Norman… run and hide… honey… he's sick. My son… he's sick… please… please don't hurt us… anymore… Caleb…"

"It's alright, Mrs. Bates. You're safe now."

~ Alex wasn't used to feeling so helpless.

"Where is she?" he demanded as soon as he entered the ER and was blocked by two orderlies.

"Sheriff." came a harassed looking nurse. "She's here but you need to let the doctor stabilize her."

"I want to see her." Romero ordered.  
"No." the nurse said. "Listen, you don't want to see her like this."

"Is she hurt? Is Norman with her?"

"Sheriff, she was found alone in the Summers house, that's all I know. The doctor will explain her injures to you once he's finished his assessment."

"What injuries?" Alex asked. It felt like all of the air was leaving his body.  
"Sheriff," the nurse said calmly. "She's been missing for a over a week. She has some injuries and signs of trauma."

"What kind of trauma?"

"The doctor will explain everything to you. I need you to stay here until we call you."

"I need to see her. She'll want to see me."

"I'm sure she will, but right now, we need to help her."

Alex took a step back. The two orderlies leading him to a more secluded waiting room. He wished he could see the house she'd been kept in. He'd only been there a few times as a kid with his friend Brian Summers, the oldest of the Summers children. This was before their mother went insane and killed her children. Before she buried them in the basement.

It had seemed like a grand and beautiful mansion to him, but it was just a normal house where a pleasant enough family lived and ran a cozy motel down the hill. His father was friends with Mr. Summers and although Alex never liked Keith Summers, Brian's cousin, they were all still friends.

Then the thing happened. All the children were inexplicably dead after being reported missing by their mother. In a week, Alex's father had pulled their bodies out of the basement where she had buried them in shallow graves. Everyone in town was too afraid to buy the property after it happened. Even Keith's family, who were the poor relations of the Summer's clan, couldn't stand to be in that house for more than a month. Everyone in town knew it was haunted.

He had been thinking of Norma and her son being trapped in that awful house when the doctor found him.

"Sheriff Romero." he said calmly and Alex stood.

"How is she?" he asked. "I want to see her."

"She was in shock when they brought her in, but she's stabilized."

"I want to see her." Alex asked helplessly.

"I need to get some information first." the doctor said. Another nurse coming from the ER with a chart to take notes on.

"What… what information?" Alex asked. He was growing annoyed.

"Sheriff, we know you and Mrs. Bates were close." the doctor said. "Please, I know this is hard but have you and Mrs. Bates had relations in the last two weeks? We need to run a rape kit."

"She was raped?" Alex whispered. The words felt like needles in his heart.

"We found bruising on her thighs. A stab wound in her hip. She has defensive scratches on her hands like she was trying to claw at something. All these wounds are consistent with an attack." the doctor explained.

Alex shook his head. He felt slightly dizzy.  
"No." he said at last. "No, we haven't… we haven't been together in the past two weeks."

"Do you know if they've found the boy yet? She keeps asking about him." the doctor asked.  
"Nothing yet. I have agent Evans at the Summers' house." Romero told him.  
"Were there any other children involved in the kidnapping? She keeps talking about other children." the doctor asked.  
Romero pulled away from the doctor.  
"No. No other children are missing in White Pine Bay." he said.

"Sheriff -"

"I need to see her now." Romero snapped and pushed past the doctor and nurse in the waiting room. When the two orderlies went to block him from entering, but the doctor waved them away.

"Where is she?" Romero demanded again and a frightened looking nurse pointed to a closed exam room.

Alex let himself in as other nurses were around a triage bed. Machines were beeping and he saw blood stained clothing was being placed into biohazard bags.  
"Sheriff, you shouldn't be here." a nurse said.

"Is she going to be alright?" Alex whispered when he heard the doctor come into the room behind him.

"She's been through hell, but she'll live." he said.

Alex approached the triage bed and the nurses working around Norma were quick to leave. He winced when he saw her cracked lips and bruised face. She looked older somehow. As if she'd aged twenty years in that house instead of a few days. Her hands were bandaged and she was receiving fluid from an IV.

"She's severely dehydrated so she might not be able to tell you anything useful, Sheriff." The doctor explained.

"Alex?" Norma called and her eye flew open.

Romero reached for her, his fingers curling around her bandaged palm.  
"Norma, I'm here. You're safe now."

"I knew you'd come." she breathed. "I knew you would. I told Norman you'd come. You'd take us home."

"It's okay." Alex told her. He felt his eyes welling up with tears at the sight of her. She looked so broken and frail just now. Her skins and hair had dirt in them and she smelled badly from not being able to bathe.

"I just want to go home." she whimpered.

"I'm going to take you home." he promised.

"Where's Norman? Is he okay?"

"He's fine, baby." Alex lied. "He's fine."

"Caleb…"

"It's okay. You don't have to explain."

"Caleb made us go there." she panted.

"Shhh. You don't have to tell me this now."

"All the children... in the basement, Alex." she cried. "The girl… my mother killed that girl… Caleb... had to dig... a grave for her. His lawyer… they kept them in... in the basement; with the children."

"What girl?"

"The girl with the van. My… they stole her van... killed her. Her body… Alex, it's on the floor… it's bleeding." she was breathing hard and crying.

"Norma, you're safe. You're safe now."

"Don't go there, Alex. It's hell… please. I can't go back." she moaned.  
"You won't have to go back."

"It's hell." she cried. "They killed them all. They always kill them all."

"Norma, where are they going?" Alex asked. "Where are they going in the van?"

"Illinois." she said weakly. "Caleb… our parents. Norman is sick! Can't you see he's sick! Let me take him to a doctor!"

She was screaming now and trying to fight him. Her face pulled suddenly into a rage as she attempted to hit him. Her arms too weak from her ordeal and Romero was easily able to subdue her.  
"Nurse!" the doctor shouted and the harassed looking nurse from before came back with a syringe.  
"Norma, you're safe!" Alex tried to get her to focus on him again, but it was like she wasn't there anymore.  
"Run! Run and hide, honey! Hide!" she cried pitifully.

The nurse was quick to inject Norma with some type of sedative, because Alex watched her eyes start to flutter after just a few seconds.

"Baby?" he asked and ran a hand over her greasy hair.

She looked almost nothing like herself just now. If anything, Norma now resembled her mother Franny with the disheveled dirty hair and face.

"Sheriff, she's going to be fine. Let us take care of her." the doctor said kindly.

Romero backed away as another nurse came in and helped put the sedated Norma Bates into a more comfortable position in bed so she could sleep.

"We need to rehydrate her and she'll be able to give you a better statement then." the doctor explained.

"Fine." Romero said. "I… I'll just…"

"We will call the Sheriff's station when we have news she's awake?" the doctor suggested. "They can call you?"

"Yes." Alex said feeling his whole body had gone numb. "I need to go to the Summers' house. I need to find our son."

 **Oh, dear. Did I type ' _our son_ ' instead of ' _her son_ '? silly me!**


	91. Chapter 91

91.

~ The Summers house looked especially menacing with all the police cars in the motel parking lot. Right away, Romero saw why Washington's suspicions had been roused. Once the Sheriff had reached the top steps, he saw a trail of blood leading to the porch.

"Alex."

Romero looked up from the blood smears on the concrete and saw Charlotte had emerged from inside the house. She looked worried to see him there. She had on latex gloves and was holding evidence bags.  
"Alex, you shouldn't be here." she said.

"Norman." he said feeling very weak. The past few days had taken more out of him than he realized. Now that Norma was safe, he felt the exhaustion creeping into him. It had been the same when he'd been in the service. Anytime there was stress for days on end, once it was over, he could sleep as if he was dead.

Except he couldn't sleep now. There was a child still missing.

Charlotte looked like she was ready to give him bad news.

"Just tell me." he said with a shaky breath. "Is he dead?"

"We don't know, Alex." Charlotte told him. "Aside from very small foot prints, we haven't been able to find any evidence at all of a child."

Romero nodded.  
"Who's blood is this?" he nodded to the trail of red that he carefully stepped around.  
"Alex you need to be with Norma right now."

"She's sedated. She can't tell me anything. I have to find Norman, Chuck. So you can help me, or you can get out of my way." Romero growled.

Charlotte looked only mildly intimidated.

"Washington's done an excellent job of securing the crime scene after he rescued Norma Bates. According to his report she was holding a large butcher knife and was covered in blood and dirt from the basement. She was ranting about children being in the basement." Charlotte told him.  
"She said the same thing when I saw her in the hospital." Alex nodded.

"Joyce Summers buried her kids in the basement after she killed them right? Maybe Norma heard the story." Charlotte offered.  
"What else did Washington find?" Romero asked.

Charlotte glared at him.  
"Franny and Ray Calhoun are dead. It looks Ray was killed first with a blow to the head, then drug into the kitchen where he was stabbed repeatedly to the chest. Franny was done in next, she was most likely stabbed to death in the kitchen when she found her husband. She's behind all the blood in there. We'll has to take the bodies for an autopsy to determine how many stab wounds are in her. I think it's more than ten." Charlotte reported.

"Norma killed her parents?" Alex asked in shock. He peered into the dark house and saw spot lights had already been set up. Crime scene was taking samples of blood from the living room and hallway.

Charlotte looked sympathetic.

"Washington found her holding a knife. That's true." Charlotte agreed. "But there was no blood on it. We'll take it back to the lab for testing. In my opinion, and it's just my opinion, no one Norma Bates' size and weight could have pulled the dead weight of a man like Ray Calhoun down the hall. It also would take a lot of physical strength to break the clavicle on Franny Calhoun from multiple stabbings. Unless Norma Bates has super powers she's never revealed till now, I doubt she did this."

"Caleb?" Romero asked.

Charlotte nodded.

"Fits his profile. He does have the physical strength." she said. "Maybe there was an argument and he killed them."

"Norma said something about Illinois and a van. Something about a girl and Caleb's lawyer." Romero offered. "Maybe Norma witnessed a car jacking."

Charlotte looked uncomfortable.  
"What?" he asked.

"Sheriff, all this blood? We're looking for another body." she admitted. "You need to prepare yourself. Just in case we find Norman here."

"No." Alex shook his head. "We have to work as though he's still alive. I want an all points bulletin for a van with a man and young boy headed east."

"Sheriff." Charlotte said.

"Chuck, Norman needs medical attention, we have to find him." Romero insisted.

"Sheriff." she said in a harsh tone.

Alex looked back at her in surprise.

"I want you to go back to the hospital and take care of Norma. I want you to go see Dylan and make sure he's okay. You're too close to this investigation. You're going to compromise it." she said calmly.

"No, I'm not!" he shouted. He felt insulted and realized the crime scene techs were peering out at the two of them on the porch.

"Alex, this is your family." Charlotte whispered. "This terrible thing happened to your family. What would you tell a father if his son was missing?"

"To let us do our job." he said defeatedly.

"Then let us do our job, Sheriff." she insisted. "I want you to take a step back and go take care of Norma and Dylan. That's how you can help us."

"Chuck." he said pitifully. "This little boy… if anything happens to him… Norma will never get over it. It will kill her."

"I know, Alex." she said. "I will call you as soon as I know something. You know I won't leave you out of the loop."

Alex was nodding and he turned to walk back down the concrete steps. A part of him grateful he didn't have to go back into that awful house. He had enough nightmares already.

~ Norma dreamed she was playing piano in the nightmare house. The windows weren't boarded up and the moonlight was allowed to come in. She played the old piano in the living room, but her fingers had become clumsy and each time she missed a beat, her fingers would beed on the keys.

She turned around on the piano bench to see she wasn't alone in the room. Her parents, Caleb and Norman were sitting on the sofa and arm chairs. All of them with perfect smiles and dressed like a model family. She realized they weren't moving and stood up slowly to inspect them closer. All of them were made of wax and their eyes were made of glass.

Their happy expressions were forever frozen on their faces because thy weren't real at all. She gasped at seeing her beautiful son with his hair combed down and his face made up like a store mannequin. He wasn't real, none of them were real.

She heard a creaking sound and she turned to see her father was sitting in the chair behind her. His glass eyes moving to see her better. His eyes, the same color blue as hers, were looking at her.

As if on cue, she heard creaking and she turned to see the wax figures of her mother, brother and son had all turned to look at her to. Their lifeless glass eyes staring at her like they were somehow alive.

She let out a cry and bolted for the door leading to the front foyer. It came open easily and she didn't look behind her as she tried to open the front door. She heard creaking as the wax figures moved in the living room. Their bodies making odd popping noises as feet fumbled over the rug.

She struggled with the door knob and it wouldn't open.

"Come on!" she cried as the footsteps of the living wax creatures slowly started to approach from behind.

She could hear them coming. Hear her father's heavy clomping, her mother's hurried limp, her brother's careless stomping, her son's childish fumbling. They were coming for her, and they were hungry.

"No." she moaned as the door knob to the outside refused to open and she could feel the vibration of the wax creatures on the hardwood floor.

Then, before their hands could touch her, she was free. The door opened and she almost fell out onto the porch of the Queen Anne.

She shut the door behind the wax figures and caught a glimpse of her mother and her son hissing at her with sharp, angry teeth.

She held the door shut on them for just a moment before turning to run down the concrete steps in the dark. There was moonlight to guide her, but it was still painfully dark outside. She could easily slip and fall and then the wax creatures would be on her. She didn't look behind her till she reached the bottom of the stairs and to the abandoned motel.

Except it wasn't abandoned at all. There was a light on in the office and a young man, well dressed, with a pleasant smile was there greeting her.  
"Sorry, I didn't hear you come up." he was saying and helping her onto the motel porch.

"I need…" she panted. "I need to call the police. I've… the house."

"It's alright." he said with a comforting smile. "I've got a phone in the office. Why don't you come inside?"

Norma was nodding, the young man seemed so harmless. So pleasant and kind, it would be rude to refuse his offer of hospitality.

"The people in the house." she nodded up to the dark Queen Anne that stood ominously on the hill. "They want to kill me. I need to call Sheriff Romero."

"Oh." the young man said. He smoothed his dark hair over and looked slightly disturbed my her mentioning the house. "No one lives up there but mother and I."

"No, there was…" she looked out the window at the house and saw the wax monsters of her parents hadn't followed her. She and the young man were alone in the back office.

She looked around the small space and saw it was decorated with an impressive amount of taxidermy animals. A startlingly beautiful owl was starching it's wings over her head as if it meant to devour her. The lighting in the room cast distorted shadows everywhere and Norma felt she wasn't safe here either.

"I need…" she tried to say.  
"A room? Of course." the young man in the nice clothes said. He smiled warmly at her and offered a pen to sign the guest book with.

Norma took the pen from him and looked at it. She couldn't remember why she was there, or how she even got there.  
"Yes… a room." she agreed and smiled at the amiable young man. "I'm… I'm really tired. I need a room."

"Say, have you eaten yet? I was about to have lunch alone. Why don't we eat together?" he asked.

Norma turned her head and took the young man in. There was something familiar about him, but she couldn't put her finger on it. He was so charming and kind. He smile disarmed her to any danger that she might be in.

"What about your mother?" she asked.

"Don't worry about mother." the pleasant young man said. "Mother is sleeping."

Norma nodded and sat across from the young man.  
"The past few days," she sighed. "It's all been so awful. It's the closest to hell I hope I ever come. I'm scared I might be going crazy."

"We all go a little mad sometimes." the young man said in a comforting tone. "It's perfectly normal."

Norma nodded.

"I suppose so." she sighed.

"Mother used to say that to me."

"Oh?"

"Yes, back when she was still herself. She's been an invalid for sometime now."

"The two of you live in that big house all alone?" Norma asked innocently. She'd forgotten Caleb and her parents and even her son. The horrors of the wax monsters they'd become were gone from her mind.

"Oh yes, It's always been Mother and I." he said happily.

"Surely you get visitors. Friends?" Norma asked hopefully.

"Oh, well a boy's best friend is his mother."

Norma felt a coldness rush over her body. A nameless fear taking hold and making her skin crawl.  
"I need to call someone." she said and stood up.

"Who?"

"I need to call… I need to call Alex. Sheriff Romero. I need to call Sheriff Romero." she said suddenly remembering she was still in danger.

"Oh. Why do you need to call **him**?" the young man asked sourly. His attitude towards her had changed abruptly and he looked annoyed by her need to call for help.

"He's the Sheriff." Norma explained. "He… Alex will come."

"You know, I don't think you're a very nice girl." the young man said.

"What?" Norma backed out of the office with it's menacing taxidermy birds on the walls. The young man, his hand in the pockets of his slacks followed her. His long legs easily keeping up with her.

"Nice girls don't agree to have dinner with you and talk about calling another man." he said. "What kind of a girl does that?"

"I need to call the Sheriff. I need help." Norma shivered. Her skin growing cold at the young man stared at her with his dead eyes.

"Not a nice girl at all." he said. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath and looked back at her.

"I'm sorry." Norma breathed.  
"Mother would like to talk to you." he said at last.

Then, it was like a nightmare she couldn't wake up from. A large kitchen knife appeared from behind his back and he was stabbing her over and over again as she tried to protect herself. She felt her warm blood leave her body and drain down to the floor below as the handsome and charming young man was killing her.


	92. Chapter 92

92.

~ Alex decided not to tell Dylan his mother had been rescued yet. It would be too hard to face the child and tell him his brother was still unaccounted for, and he wasn't sure exactly what his mother had endured. All the horror that was in that house, Romero knew better than anyone that Norman could easily be dead. It was better to tell Dylan when he knew all the facts and there wasn't anything left to wonder or worry about. Better or worse, he wouldn't face Dylan till he knew what to tell him.

Dylan would naturally want to see his mother and Norma wasn't herself yet. She was still prone to horrible fits of terror. Alex wouldn't be able to forgive himself if he'd exposed the child to her strange rantings about wax people, being stabbed and blood on the piano.

It had been hours since Norma was found and Romero had no other option but to go back to the hospital. Chuck had banned him from the Summers house, and he felt neglectful of Norma if he didn't stay by her side right now. She had been sleeping a lot, but often woke up from nightmares. At almost midnight, Norma woke up suddenly from another bad dream.

"Alex?" she cried from her hospital bed.

Sheriff Romero had almost fallen asleep in the not so comfortable chair beside her. He sat up and reached out a hand for her to grab. She would want to go back to sleep as soon as he reminded her she was safe. The doctors wanting to keep her sedated until she stopped hallucinating from dehydration and emotional trauma.

"Alex?" she gasped and looked for him in the darkened hospital room.  
"I'm right here." he told her. Her hand gripping tightly to his as if she was drowning.  
"Are we safe?" she asked. Her eyes large as she clung to him.  
"You're safe." he told her. She was making more sense now. The fluids having helped to stabilize her and bring her back to him.

"Was it real? Was any of it real?" she whispered in the darkness.

"You've been having nightmares, baby." he told her.

"I keep seeing blood. When I play the piano, then there are wax people. Norman was made of wax." she said weakly.

"That was just a dream." he promised.

"My parents…" she whispered.

Alex let out a deep sigh.  
"I know. You're safe now." he said.

"Norman?" she asked. "I told him to hide. Did you find him?"

"Not yet. Charlotte is at the house looking for him."

"You have to find him, Alex. He'll come to you. He kept asking to go home and calling your name." she cried softly.

"We're going to find him. We're going to bring him home." he promised.

"Where's Dylan?"

"Staying with Sybil." he lied.

"I want to see him."

"You need to rest first. I don't want him to see you like this." he said.

"No, I want to see him."

He smiled.  
"Baby, it's really late. He's already asleep. You need your rest to. Trust me, he's fine."

She nodded but looked ready to cry.  
"Alex, I think something bad happened. I don't remember… but I think it's really bad." Tears were streaming down her face and he quickly left his uncomfortable chair to crawl into the narrow hospital bed with her.

"You're safe now." he said again when she curled into his arms.

"I want Norman." she whispered once she had slowed her sudden outburst of tears.

"I know." he said helplessly.

~ It was morning when Charlotte arrived to update Sheriff Romero on the progress of finding Norman Bates.

"Anything?" Alex asked once he'd left the sleeping Norma to talk to Charlotte in the hall.

"Nothing in the house." she told him. "Except a lot of blood."

"Norma wouldn't have left him." he said. "He was taken."

"We're on the look out for the blue mini van we believe Caleb is driving. We think we have a lead headed to Alaska of all places." She said.  
"How do you know what kind of van he's driving?" Romero asked suspiciously.

"Because we dug up two bodies in the back yard." Charlotte explained sadly. "One was a young woman who owned a blue mini van that is now missing. A traffic camera caught the license plate when Caleb ran a red light."

"That's great. Norman would be with him." Alex said.

Charlotte looked doubtful.

"We can't be sure Norman is with Caleb. Let's not get our hopes up." she said rationally.

"It's the best lead we have, Chuck." Romero argued.  
"True, but…" she sighed. "Alex, you know the odds on cases like these. We've already pulled two bodies out of the yard. It could be Norman's has yet to be found."

"He's alive." Alex argued. "I can't go to Norma and tell her anything less than Norman is safe."

"Has she said anything?" Charlotte asked. "Anything at all that can explain what happened? What she saw?"

"Just about wax people. Being stabbed." he said. "I think it's just nightmares she's confusing with memories and worry over Norman."

"We've been looking into Franny and Ray Calhoun's sordid past. I think we can trace at least three murders and maybe a dozen disappearances back to them over the past thirty years." she said.

"What? How is that possible? How have they not been caught?" he asked.

"They are transient. Gypsies who leave town after only a few months. They have no work history and the kids have barely any school records. They are the perfect family of psychopaths." Charlotte admitted.

"Norma isn't like that." Alex snapped at her. "She's not a psychopath and neither are the boys."

"I already have my superiors coming down to see the murder house." Charlotte told him. "One of them wrote a book about Manson and his so called family. I think he's going to want to interview Norma about her parents."

"No." Alex said curtly. "Absolutely not."

"Alex, we don't know how much Norma was involved with these murders." Charlotte explained. "I have two dead bodies."

"Norma had nothing to do with them." Alex told her. "Chuck, you want to help? Find Norman. Bring him back to us. Till then, we're not doing any interviews for your boss's new book."

"Okay." Charlotte said. "But, Alex, Norma will have to answer my questions about what happened in that house. If she was involved in any way…"

She and Alex exchanged dark looks as their friendship slowly eroded away.  
"She didn't hurt anyone." Romero said.

"I hope not." Charlotte said. "I hope that she was just an innocent victim in all this."

~ Norma woke up to Alex sleeping in the chair next to her.

"Alex?" she called weakly to him. Her body felt worn out and heavy. Like she'd been sleeping too long and in an uncomfortable position.

She watched him wake up and turn back to her.

"Feeling better?" he asked. He needed a shave and his clothes were wrinkled.

"What happened to you?" she asked. Her hands going to his wrinkled shirt. "You look awful."

He smiled at her but it wasn't much of a smile.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Worn out." she admitted. She looked around her to see that she was in a standard hospital room.

"It was real?" she asked disappointedly. It would have been easy to tell herself it had all been a dream.  
"What was real?" Alex asked. "What do you remember?"

Norma took a deep breath.  
"Oh, I… we, were at the farm house and Caleb-" her lower lip started to tremble. She felt Alex take her hand. "He made us go with him. He drove us to the woods and we had to leave the car there and walk. I didn't have any shoes on. Norman had a seizure."

She suddenly remembered her son.  
"Norman!" she cried.

"It's okay." he said.  
"No, Alex!" she sobbed. "Norman is sick. My mother's going to kill him, I know it!"

"Norma, your mother and father are dead." Alex said somberly.

She shook her head.

"No, they think Norman's weak. That he's too much trouble. Please, we have to go back. He's still in the house." she said.

"Norma," he said sternly. "your mother and your father are dead. I need you tell me everything you remember about being in that house."

Norma's mind reeled against the information her parents were actually dead. Alex must be mistaken.  
"No." she shook her head. "No, they aren't dead." she said.

"Norma."

"Alex, we have to find Norman." she pleaded.

"Norma, did you hurt anyone in that house?" he asked bluntly.

She pulled away from him.  
"Who could I hurt?" she asked.

Alex looked away from her.  
"The FBI will ask you some questions about two bodies they found buried in the yard. Do you know what happened to them?" Alex asked.

Norma shook her head.  
"I don't remember."

"You have to remember." he insisted.  
"I don't know what happened." she said. "I... I didn't see. We were kidnapped and forced to be there. We were in that big house and they kept me in the basement and away from my son! All I did was try to get away with my son!"

"It's okay." he tried to soothe her but she felt her anger rising.  
"Where's Dylan?" she demanded.

"He's fine, he's with Sybil."

"I want to see him."

"You will."  
"Alex, I want Norman." she insisted.

"We're going to bring him back." he promised.

She felt a swell of hopelessness rise up inside her like a bubble.

"I was hoping none of it was real." she sobbed.

~ Dylan was glad to be reunited with his mother after the doctor pronounced her well enough to have a visitor.

"Sybil took me to a foster home." he said as soon as Norma had given him a well earned hug and affectionate kiss.

"What?" Norma balked. She turned to Alex as if it was his fault.  
"I wanted to take him home with me, but I'm not a guardian." he explained.

"I'm sorry, honey." Norma said to her son.

"What happened to you? No one will tell me anything." Dylan asked.

"It's complicated, honey." Norma explained.

"What's complicated? I don't understand." Dylan asked. "Why are you in the hospital? Why can't I stay with Sheriff Romero? Where's Norman?"

When Alex saw Norma start to hold back a sob he took hold of Dylan's arm and guided him away.  
"It's not for kids to worry about. It's grown up stuff." he said.

He pulled out his wallet and found five dollars.

"I want you to get us some snacks from the machine." he said. Dylan happily took his money and was about to leave before he remembered something.  
"Oh." he said and fished in his jeans pocket. Alex had forgotten he'd given the boy his badge to hold on to.

"Thanks for keeping that safe for me." Romero said when he took it back.

"Yeah." Dylan nodded.  
"I'll need it." Romero added encouragingly.

"To find Norman." the child reminded him. "I want my brother back."

"We all do." Alex said and watched Dylan leave them to find a candy machine.

"You gave Dylan your badge?" Norma asked.

"I have a drawer full of extras." he said casually.

He thought he saw a faint smile cross her lips.

"Alex, I don't remember much." she admitted. "I don't think I saw what happened to that girl. But I think… I think she was in the living room."

"What else?" he asked.  
"I… I think Caleb killed that lawyer." she said. "But I don't remember. I think my mother stabbed me in the hip. I was asking to take Norman to see a doctor."

She turned to him, her face looked bleak and for a moment, he saw what she might look like as a very old woman.

"You know, growing up, I just never saw what they were really like." she told him. "My parents. I never really understood. I never saw. I mean, what they did. How it wasn't normal to live like we did. I didn't put it together. Not until I was back with them. Then, it was like I saw what they were."

Alex felt his chest tighten. He remembered not only Charlotte's profile, but also those pictures of a thin, ragged little girl. His Norma, trapped in a family of murderers and she didn't even know it.

"So, you shouldn't have any more to do with us." she said. "You didn't know… what kind of person… what kind of family… I came from."

Alex looked at his shoes.  
"I mean." she went on and tears were streaming down her face. "People will talk and, they'll humiliate you because we were together. I couldn't bear that. I don't want you hurt. I never wanted to hurt you."

Alex kept his focus on his shoes.

"So, I don't know. Whatever happens, I'll understand if you want to stay away. You're an elected official. People need to know they can trust you." she said wiping tears away from her face.

Alex finally looked up and met her eyes. They were the color of an ominous hurricane.  
"People in this town need to trust me." he agreed.

She looked heart broken, but she nodded.

"Good thing our son remembered to give me back my badge." he said casually. "I really don't have a drawer full of them."

 **Oops! Did I type** ** _'Our'_** **instead of** ** _'Your'_** **again?**


	93. Chapter 93

93.

~ Alex couldn't sleep, so he contented himself watching Norma and Dylan sleeping peacefully in the shared hospital bed. Her worry over the still missing Norman had caused the doctor to sedate her again, and Alex didn't have the heart to send Dylan back to the foster home. It was comforting to see the two of them curled together in the narrow bed. Dylan was getting too old for such behavior, but under the circumstances, Alex didn't blame him for wanting to be close to his mother.

He heard the door to her hospital room open, and was surprised to see Charlotte standing there.

"Chuck?" he whispered.

She nodded for him to join her out in the hall. Her face grim with news she didn't want to share in the room.

Alex slowly stood up. Steeling himself to the idea that Norman was dead. That he had some kind of seizure or was so brutalized by his own grandparents, that his little body couldn't survive.

"Charlotte." he said once they were out in the hall. "Just tell me."

"Norman Bates is alive and he's going to be okay." she said sadly.

Alex felt a weight shift off him.  
"He is? Are you sure?" he breathed. "Where was he? What happened?"

"We tracked Caleb to Juno, Alaska. He surrendered the boy after a traffic stop. He confessed to police there that he had killed his parents, his lawyer and the girl for her van. He even confessed to the murder of Gemma Harper." she said.

Alex leaned away. Caleb didn't kill Gemma Harper. So why was he confessing to it now?

"Caleb Calhoun is in custody?" he asked instead.

Charlotte nodded.

"It seems my profile was wrong. Ray and Franny Calhoun weren't a family of killers. We have no real evidence to support any killer other than Caleb in the family." she said. Her face showed real disappointment.

"Where's Norman now?" Alex asked.

"He's here. Ambulance just brought him back for an examination." she said.

"Was he hurt?" Alex asked. "His seizures?"

"He doesn't seem to be hurt. Doctors are looking him over now. He's had a hard week, but he's young enough to forget." she said.

"How could he forget this?" Alex asked.

"Norma did." Charlotte reminded him with a shrug.

She and Romero exchanged distrustful glares again.  
"I know you love her, Alex." she said.

"I do." he said quickly.  
"We both know her parents did this, not just her brother." she added.

"The Calhoun's are not her family." Alex snapped. "This was relation against me. They took Norma Bates because they wanted to hurt me. That's the story, Chuck. That's what the story is going to be."

"Spin it any way you want. It doesn't make it so." Charlotte snapped.  
"Tell you boss I'm sorry about his book." he said.

"Alex!"

"Norman's downstairs in the emergency room?" he asked. "I need to go see him."

He turned away from his closest friend. The girl who was like a sister to him, but who he felt he had to protect Norma against just now. He had to protect Norma and his family at all costs.

~ Norman Bates looked thinner and like he'd been sick with a cold. His face was pale and he had dark circles under his eyes.  
"He's going to be fine." the doctor who examined him told Romero. "It doesn't look like the seizures did any permeant damage."

"His mother needs to see him." Alex nodded. Both men were watching Norman sitting on the exam table through the other room. The nurse trying to cheer the little boy up, but Norman wasn't smiling.

"Maybe they'll both feel better." the doctor agreed.

~ Norman's face brightened a little when he saw Alex come into the exam room.

"Hi, son." Romero said. He tried not to sound too condescending to the child. Tried to remind himself that he talked to Norman all the time. Tried to remember how he'd always talked to him.

Norman lifted his arms up for Romero to carry him. Alex felt something shift inside him. Norman had never done something like this before with him. The child wasn't like Dylan. He didn't have a need for affection and attention from a male figure like his older brother did. It was a moment, rare and beautiful that he would want Alex to pick him up and hold him now.

"Come on." Alex said and easily lifted the child from the exam table. "We need to go see your mother. Let her know you're okay."

"Lucy." Norman said plainly.

Alex smiled at the little boy before kissing his forehead. Norman wrapped his thin little arms around his neck and rested his head on Romero's shoulder.  
"We can go driving later." he promised. "Right now we have to take care of your mom."

~ Norma was still sleeping with Dylan when Romero entered the hospital room with Norman in his arms.  
"See? Your mom's fine. Dylan is here to." he told the little boy.  
"Wanna go home." Norman said in a weary voice.

"We will soon. As soon as the doctor says it's okay." he told the child.  
"Mother." Norman pointed to Norma and Dylan sleeping in the bed.  
"Okay." Alex agreed and carried him over to them. He shook Norma a little too roughly, but she roused awake enough to see her baby had been returned.  
"Norman!" she gasped in shock at seeing his winded face. Alex almost had his arm ripped off by her ravenous grab for her child.

Dylan woke up and looked in amazement at his younger brother.  
"Is he okay?" he asked Alex.  
"He's going to be just fine." Romero told the three of them.

Norma was in tears and clutching tightly to her son.

"What happened to him?" Dylan asked. "Why does he look like that?"

"He just needs some sleep. Everyone will feel better once they're home for a while." Alex reminded him.

"The farm?" Dylan asked hopefully.

"That's right." Romero nodded.  
"Ride Lucy." Norman agreed.  
"You are not driving Lucy, young man." Norma said happily. "I'm never letting you go."

"Lucy?" Norman asked.

"We have to listen to your mother, son." Alex grinned.

"Can I drive Lucy?" Dylan asked.

"No." Norma said and buried her face in Norman's hair again.  
Alex gave Dylan a wink and a knowing nod.  
"By the way, I have more good news." he said once Norma was happily satisfied with the return of her son. She looked like it was Christmas morning and her youngest was the present she'd been hoping for.

"Oh?" she asked holding Norman like a baby again.

"Yeah, while you were gone…" he said shyly. "I was told I won the election for Sheriff."

"Alex!" Norma cried with the first real smile he'd seen on her face since before this nightmare.  
"I thought you already were Sheriff." Dylan interrupted.

Alex smiled.

"I was only the temporary Sheriff." he explained.

"Now you're the real Sheriff?" Dylan asked.  
"That's right." Alex nodded.  
"Oh." Dylan said. Thoroughly unimpressed.  
"I didn't get to vote for you." Norma complained.  
"Well, I didn't get to vote for me either. I guess it didn't matter. Washington said it was a landslide." Alex admitted.

"Well, I'm very proud of you, Sheriff." she said.  
"Thank you, Mrs. Bates."

~ The next day, Alex arrived to the hospital in Lucy to take everyone home.  
"Lucy!" Norman cried fiercely when he saw the old car waiting for them.  
"You're not driving!" Norma scolded. She gripped tightly to his hand while they walked across the parking lot.

"Lucy!" Norman said petulantly and started to sulk.  
"I put seatbelts in." Alex said hopefully to Norma when she looked doubtfully at the large car.

"You didn't have to do that, Sheriff." she said.

Of course I did, Mrs. Bates." he teased.

They exchanged annoyed looked before she allowed the boys in the back seat.

"Alex, just please tell me you weren't eating those TV dinners the whole time I was gone." she said.

"Every night." he said quickly. "My left arm still feels tingly."

"That's not funny."

"Good thing we're so close to a hospital."

"Alex!"

"I've also got a lot of laundry piled up." he added honestly.

"How did you survive before we met? You live like a frat boy when I'm not around." she scolded with a smirk once she was satisfied the boys were buckled into the back.  
"I made it work." he shrugged. "But it's a lot better now."

"Are we going home now?" Dylan asked.

"Yes." Alex told him and started the car.

Alex drove them out of the parking lot and through town. Norma enjoying the ride in the big car and feeling so comforted with Alex at the wheel.  
"Look… look, look how she bleeds." Norman said in a sing song voice from the back seat. "She bleeds red everywhere. Look, look, look how she bleeds."

Norma and Alex froze and didn't glance back at the child. They didn't miss the look of naked fear on each other's face. Her breathing changing and started picking up speed.

"Alex?" she whispered.  
"It's fine." he said softly. "He's going to forget soon." He was driving out of town when he felt her hand resting on his arm. Looking for some comfort after what just happened.

"Are we going to be okay?" she whispered.

"Of course." he said.

~ Norma was relieved to see the house looked the same as always. Alex had cleaned up the mess she had left after Caleb took her and Norman. She was glad to see her shoes were neatly tucked under the bed. Waiting for her to come back.

"I think we should just order a pizza for tonight." Alex offered. "Maybe have a family movie night."

"That sounds nice." she said numbly. "Wait, where's Norman?" she looked around the living room and didn't see her son.  
"The boys are outside." he told her. "Norman could use the fresh air."

"I want him here with me." Norma said feeling like the walls were closing in.

"Norma."

"Alex, he's been through a horrible ordeal. I want him to feel safe." she said.  
"He will feel safe." Alex said. "He's with his brother. They probably playing with sticks and rocks and finding bugs."

He took hold of her arms to keep her from going outside to hunt Norman down.

"They need to stay outside. Parents need their alone time." he said.

She looked back at him in amazement.

"You keep saying that." she said. "You keep saying that… Dylan… the boys."

"I know." he nodded and she relaxed under his touch. His hands moving down her hips and puling her closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and remembered how easy it was to be with him.  
"When Sybil had to take Dylan to foster care, it made me realize I need to be more than just a good friend to the boys. I need to be much more. If anything happened to you, Norma, I would want the boys to stay with me." he confessed.  
"Alex." she breathed. Her heart started to beat wildly.

"You know I think of you and the boys as my family." he said.

Her vision blurred slightly for tears. She was kissing him before he could say more.

"What about the boys?" she asked at last.  
"Dad needs alone time with mom." he teased her.

She was giggling.

"You sure you know what you're getting into?" she asked with a grin.

"How bad could it be?" he asked. "Dylan will make a great deputy one day."

"No." Norma shook her head. "No, he's going to be a doctor."

"He wants to be a cop like the old man."

"No."

"Eating TV dinners every night."

"No!" she cried and started laughing.

"Not doing laundry. Living like frat boys."

"I don't think I like this scenario." she said happily. "What about Norman? What's he going to do?"

"I think he's going to be to doctor in the family. All the nurses at the hospital loved him." Alex told her.  
"It's always been like that with Norman." she said honestly. "When he was a baby all the women loved him."

"Lucky him."

"All the women you meet don't love you?" she asked.  
"No. But that's okay. I only care about the one." he said and started to kiss her again.


	94. Chapter 94

94.

~ Alex was afraid of being so happy. Norma and the boys settled perfectly back into a life with him in a matter of days. It was as if they were always mean to be there. Always meant to be apart of his life and in his family home.

"You don't have to go to the store. I would have picked something up for dinner." he said when he came home from work and saw she was already cooking dinner.

"It was on my way home from work." she shrugged. "I had to drop off a cake this morning. Besides, you were out of everything, Alex."

"You went into work?" he asked. "Norma, it's only been a few days."

"I'm not going to sit at home and feel sorry for myself, Sheriff." she told him stubbornly. "If I do that, if I give what happened any leverage at all it will be like it bet me."

"You don't get beaten that easily." he agreed. "Did anyone give you a hard time?"

"I got some looks at the store. The girls at work think I was taken by Caleb because of you. Mainly they were worried about Norman." she admitted. "No one knew Caleb is my brother or that Ray and Franny are my parents."

"No, they wouldn't." Alex admitted. He watched her mixing something and preparing a chicken. Her face looked a little sad.  
"I made sure no one knew Caleb was even related to you." he offered. "I made it about me. About Gemma Harper."

She nodded and didn't look at him.

"I um…" she swallowed hard. "I'm not sure, but I think he hurt me. I think Caleb hurt me."

Alex said nothing. The two of them oceans apart with their own thoughts.

"I don't remember it very well, but I'm pretty sure it happened." she said. "Did the doctors at the hospital say anything?"

Alex knew it was important to not look away from her.

"There was some concern." he said. "Some bruising."

"They gave me tests right? For things…" she asked.

"Yes." he said quickly. "You're fine. We have nothing to worry about."

She nodded.

"Is that why you don't want to fool around?" she asked. "You seem like you were respecting my space lately."

"I didn't want you to feel traumatized. Everything that happened, it might remind you of what he did." he explained.

"It's like comparing apples to oranges." she told him. "I barely remember it and I've always felt safe being with you."

He tried not to smile. That wonderful male pride washing over him.

"Do you not want to be with me because of what happened?" she asked.

"You know better." he scolded gently.

She smiled.

"I'm okay." she promised. "What Caleb did, it's not my shame. I refuse to feel bad or dirty about it. I refuse to associate making love with you to being raped by him. It's never going to be the same thing."

"Good to know." he smiled mischievously. "I'll get the boys a pup tent and they can camp in the yard every night."

"Alex!" she grinned.

He walked around the kitchen to her. His hands going around her hips again and she threaded her hands over his shoulders.

"You're amazing to me, Mrs. Bates." he whispered. "I know a dozen men who would piss themselves if they had to endure one second of what you went through. Now you're here, and you're strong. How do you do it?"

She kissed his cheek.

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you, Alex." she reminded him. "Remember how we first met? How lost I was? It wasn't that long ago. It's so funny isn't it? You and I? I mean after everything we've been through, we're here. We've made it. We're happy."

He kissed her cheek and ran his hands down her hips, gripping her bottom.

She was grinning at him.

"I just want to be happy." she confessed.

~ The boys didn't seem to mind sharing a bed in Alex's old room. The Sheriff of White Pine Bay found his boys and Norma all piled into his old bed just before their bedtime. Norma talking to them about school starting soon. He listened to them talking from out in the hallway. Unsure about his role in their family bond. It had been just Norma and the boys for a while now. Sure he had been part of their lives, but were they equally ready to have him be more?

"Will we have to live in the other house when school starts back up?" Dylan asked.  
"I'm not sure yet." Norma told him.

"I like staying here." Dylan said.  
"I know, honey." she said. "But this isn't our house, and Alex still has a lot of work to do here. All these older homes need a lot of work."

"Norman and I were going to build a fort." Dylan said.  
"You can build a fort at the other house." she offered.

"No, we can't." Dylan said petulantly.

"Dyaln."

"Norman still has to go to daycare. I'll be in first grade." Dylan said.

"Yes." she said.

"I heard the kids are really mean in first grade. It's not like it was in kindergarten. Even in the advanced class. I bet the kids are really mean."

"Not all of them." she said.

"What if they're mean?" he asked. "I'll have to beat them up."

"Dylan, I don't want you fighting."

"What if I have to fight?"

"Why would you have to fight?" she asked.

"The other kids will make fun of me."

"Why?" she asked.

Dylan shook his head and Alex decided it was time to let himself into the room.

Dylan and Norman looked eagerly up at him.

"Boys, it's almost bedtime. What are you both still doing up?" he asked.

"Talking." Dylan explained.

"We're worried about starting school soon." Norma told him.

"You like school." Alex reminded him.  
"I liked kindergarten." Dylan admitted. "What's going to happen if the other kids give me a hard time?"  
"Well, that is life, son." Alex reminded him. "Plenty of people will give you a hard time. You have to learn to deal with it."

"When I'm grown up, they won't be mean." Dylan said hopefully.

Norma leaned over and kissed her oldest child on the cheek. She kissed Norman who gave her a faint smile.  
"Can you take me to school on the first day?" Dylan asked Romero.  
"Sure." Alex said. "I'll even walk you to your class. How does that sound?"

Dylan seemed cheered up by that prospect and when Alex leaned down to hug him goodnight, he felt the child wrap his arms tightly around his neck in genuine affection.

He moved over to Norman and the little boy gave him a half hearted kiss and hug goodnight.

"Norman, would you like me to drop you off at daycare?" he asked.

"No. Mother." Norman said and pointed to Norma.

"Well, he has good taste." Alex said to her.

"Good night, boys." Norma called to them and Alex turned off the lights to their room and closed the door.

Out in the hallway, he heard the boys talking and made a quick turn around, opening the door to their room again.  
"Bedtime." he snapped and saw the shapes under the covers jump and lay still. Suspicious that they were not really sleepy, Alex slowly closed the door and waited to hear them making noise again.

"You'e getting good at this." Norma said with a teasing grin.

"I meant to ask you what kind of tile you would want in the bathroom." he asked. "I haven't gotten very far in this project at I would like."

"It does't matter what tile I want. It's your house, Sheriff." she said. He was following her back to the master bedroom.

"Doesn't have to be." he said once they were alone in their room. "Just my house I mean."

"What are you saying, Sheriff?" she asked.

"Just that if you wanted it, this could be your home to." he said.

She looked doubtful. Alex was reminded that his farm home wasn't as nice as the other homes in town. Maybe Norma wanted a new house or to not live so far into the country.

"Alex, I'm not interested in shacking up. Remember?" she told him. "We both agreed it's not good for your image."

"I'm not asking you to…" he felt stupid for even suggesting it.

Norma threw pillows aside and unmade the bed for them.

"Thank you for offering to take Dylan to school on his first day. You know how he likes to brag about you." Norma said once they were both settled in bed together.

"Sure." he said feeling awkward. "Why do you think he's scared to go to school?"

"He won't tell me." she said. "But I'm sure it's not as bad as he thinks."

"Maybe." Alex said.

~ The next morning, Alex snuck the boys out in Lucy to go driving. He let Norman sit on his lap and then Dylan. Both of them very pleased to have maneuvered down the deserted road and they all promised not to tell their mother about their bad behavior. Such secrets were okay to keep from her because she would be mad if she knew.

"Boys, I need to ask you both something." Alex said once the two of them were satisfied they were good drivers.

"What?" Dylan asked.  
Alex smiled at them. It was so easy to see his future with Norma and the boys.

"Well, you know I love your mom." he said carefully. "You two were in her life longer than I was. So, I need to ask you first."

"For what?" Dylan asked and Norman looked unimpressed.

"I want to ask your mother to marry me." Alex said with a smile. "I need you two to give us your blessing."

"What's blessing?" Norman asked.

"It means permission, dummy." Dylan said.

"Not permission." Alex corrected. "It means you'll be glad that your mom and I will get married."

"Will you be our dad?" Dylan asked hopefully.  
"Absolutely." Romero said.  
"Can we call you dad?" he asked.

"I hope you do."

"Can I tell everyone in school I'm the Sheriff's son?"

"Yes. Because you will be."

"Good, I want you and mom to get married right away." Dylan said eagerly.

"No. Mother." Norman said.  
"Shut up!" Dylan said. "You'll like being the Sheriff's kid."

"Alex house?"

"Yeah we're going to live with Alex and Mom and he's going to be our new dad. We're going to build the fort here and drive Lucy and then when we're big, we'll be deputies for Dad." Dylan explained to his younger brother.  
"Dad?" Norman looked doubtful.  
"We get to call him dad now. Remember? I told you we would." Dylan said. "We'll have a mom and dad just like everyone else. Only our dad is the Sheriff."

"Sheriff." Norman nodded.  
"Yeah, we're the Sheriff's kids now. No one will mess with us." Dylan said.

"Boys, we have to keep this quite and not say a word to your mother. I still have to ask her." Alex reminded them.

"She'll say yes. Norman said she was always crying for you when they were away last week." Dylan said.

"She did?" Alex asked and looked worriedly at Norman.

"Alex will come." Norman said. "He'll save us. Alex will take us home."

"See?" Dylan said. "Now we're home."

"It's just a game. It's only a game." Norman said.

"He talks like that all the time." Dylan explained.

"Here, use the knife on the girl." Norman said. "Use the knife on the girl and she will bleed."


	95. Chapter 95

95.

~ "Sheriff." the new deputy Alisha Perez said eagerly. "I cross checked all of the accounts for Bob Paris and there hasn't been any new activity on any of his bank accounts."

"The ones we know about anyway." Romero said sarcastically.

"Well, those would be a little hard to discover." Perez said with a flirty smile.

Alex didn't register the fact the pretty female deputy was flirting with him until a few seconds later. Alisha Perez was certainly attractive, with a nice smile, college degree and no children or ex's.

Feeling embarrassed, Romero turned back to his paperwork.  
"I'll put in a call to the FBI. We can get a listing of any off shore accounts." he explained keeping his eyes on court documents.

"Sheriff, what do you think happened to Bob Paris?" Perez asked.

Alex felt a warning go off inside him. Not because she was asking about Bob Paris, but because of the way Alisha Perez was asking him.

"That's what we're trying to find out, Deputy." he said quickly.

"I only ask because you and Bob Paris were friends." she said.

Romero turned to her and saw she was leaning on his desk.

"Deputy, if I knew where Bob was, this investigation would be over pretty quickly." he said. "Close the door on your way out."

Alisha Perez looked slightly offended but she turned to go. Alex caught himself stealing a quick glance at her well toned hips and backside before he went back to look at his paperwork.

It had been like this non stop since Norma was rescued from the Summer's house. The moment the other women in the office saw him as the elected Sheriff, youngest ever in fact, it was as if they needed to talk to him about everything. Clarice seemed to be the only exception. Although she was his age, she seemed indifferent to his sudden sex appeal as Sheriff. Alex was grateful she could keep her head cool when the female deputies and even the women in town were constantly wanting to talk to him, smile at him and just generally annoy him.

He had first felt it after he'd shot and killed Sam Bates. Apparently, he had looked heroic carrying Norman out of the house to the waiting ambulance. He noticed after that how differently the women in town looked at him. It was as if they saw him for the first time. Not as the Old Bear's son, or as a deputy who was always grumpy, but as a viable romantic interest worth more than a casual interest.

After rescuing the boys from Norma's sinking car, it had intensified, but not to the point where Alex was worried about the attention. It started getting bad after Caleb was arrested and he'd gotten the credit for it. Women were always happy to see the man who arrested the child killer, Caleb Calhoun.

Then, he and Norma were broken up and he found the attention was annoying and unwanted. These women had nothing to offer him other than their looks and being high maintenance with even higher expectations of him.

Now that Norma was rescued and he was elected Sheriff, the attention from the opposite sex intensified even stronger. He'd been given much more credit than he deserved for Caleb Calhoun being apprehended and for Norma and her young son being found safe. Their names were left out of the paper because of Norman's age and the possibility of Norma being sexually assaulted. Alex was sure the gossip mill in town filled everyone in anyway. Yet, people were remarkably sensitive to him and Norma about what happened. It had surprised Romero that in a town where drugs fueled the economy, people were genuinely caring towards the horrors that happened to an innocent woman and child.

No one seemed to associate Alex Romero with the Old Bear anymore. They seemed to look at him as if they were truly different people now. Alex had his baptism by fire and he'd come out alive, and better for it.

"Sheriff?" came a knock on the door.

Alex sighed and glanced at Deputy Stephanie Allen peeking into his office. A very pretty blond deputy who for whatever reason, liked to play the helpless card when it suited her.  
"Allen?" Romero asked

"I know you wanted those blood samples from the Doyle case done by five. They're still at the lab. Did you want me to wait for them?" she asked helpfully.  
"You're not the only deputy here, Allen." Romero said harshly. "Have your relief pick them up if they're not here by the time you get off."

"I don't mind waiting." Allen said brightly.  
"It's only three o'clock, Allen." Romero reminded her. "I'm sure they'll be here. If they're not, well, have your relief pick them up."

"Alright, Sheriff." Allen said with a flashy smile. "I've got some paper work to catch up on."

"Shut the door on you way out." Alex ordered.

He knew she was sending him signals. Letting him know she was there and 'available' to him. It was a complication he didn't want or need.

' _The sooner Norma and I are married, the better._ ' he thought. It occurred to him that women might be more attracted to him once he was married. Women were like that sometimes. They only wanted a man to prove they could steal him from someone else. But at least a wedding ring on his finger would be a convenient excuse to keep their attention away.

Alex liked the idea of a wearing a wedding band. Liked that it, and his watch would be the only jewelry he would ever wear again.

He wished he could talk to her now and tell her about his day. Like magic, she was beside him. His mind playing out exactly what she would say.

"Oh, Sheriff." she teased in a high pitched girly voice. "How handsome you are! I'm so in love with you! Pay attention to me!"

"That's not what she said." Alex laughed.

"Ugh!" Norma groaned. "That goes against the natural order, don't you think?"

"How so?"

"Well, man is preprogramed to chase woman. He's hardwired to be the pursuer in the relationship. For the woman pursue the man isn't attractive to him." she explained.

"Not every enlightened, Mrs. Bates."

"It's true." she argued. "Would you ever want a woman who tried to seduce you?"

"Not really." he admitted. "Not that I've ever been seduced."

"Sure you have. How do you think we got together?"  
"Oh, how did you seduce me?" he challenged in disgust.

She grinned wickedly at him.

"All it took was a few home cooked meals, some playful arguments and you were mine." she shrugged.

"That's…" he trailed off. When was it exactly he started to fall for Norma. He was defiantly smitten by her the first night. However he genuinely started to feel something more for her durning the ordeal with Shelby. She had been cooking and he'd been on the phone with Wilson. She looked so carelessly beautiful and he felt so protective of her. Was it then he knew he loved her? Was it when she couldn't let the TV dinner thing drop and insisted on cooking for him? Was it when her car went into the bay and he came so close to losing her forever?

"Well played, Mrs. Bates." he said at last. "Well played."

Feeling comforted, he felt her vanish from his mind. He was alone in the office and thinking only of everything they had been through together.

~ "This is a lot of work just to ask mom to get married." Dylan complained. "Why can't you just ask her at dinner?"

"Because women like romance." Alex explained. He was making the boys hold onto separate bouquets of fresh flowers he'd bought that afternoon. After what happened at work with Perez and Allen, Romero decided enough was enough. So, he'd stopped at the florist and selected an array of flowers that looked pretty, but he wasn't sure what to do with. Maybe he should have gone with roses. He wasn't sure what kind of flowers these were, but he hoped Norma would like them.  
"When you're older you'll understand." Alex explained to Dylan who looked put out at having to hold pretty flowers.

Norman, liked holding his own, smaller bouquet of flowers and was careful not to damage them.  
"Remember, it's just like we practiced it." Alex said.

"Mom's calling us to dinner." Dylan reminded him. "She'll be mad if she has to come get us. She might say no."

"She won't say no." Alex said. He hoped she wouldn't say no.

~ Norma called Alex and the boys to dinner again and stood out on the front porch waiting for them. She was growing annoyed at them now. She'd worked for over an hour on the chicken marsala and all she asked was that they be on time to enjoy it.

She knew they were in the barn. She saw the doors were wide open. Alex was probably teaching them to use cross bows or something horribly dangerous like that.

"Alex?" she called out.

Nothing.

"Dylan! Norman! Dinner is ready!" she snapped.

Shaking her head, she stepped off the porch and marched to the barn.

"Boys, I'm sick of calling to you. You need to respect my time and all the work I did to make-" she stopped short when she saw the white christmas lights adorning the inside of the barn. The last time she had seen them was when Alex took her for their first and only real date night.

Now, he'd strung them from the rafters and they gave the old barn a beautiful glow. She caught her breath when she saw Alex and the boys. They were standing about five yards away from her, in front of Lucy and smiling. Each of them holding a bouquet of brightly colored flowers with Alex holding the biggest, and Norman the smallest.

"Boys?" Alex nodded to them and Dylan and Norman walked forward to greet their mother.  
"Here." Dylan said. "It's supposed to be romantic."

He handed her his flowers and shrugged.  
"Thank you, Dylan." she said and tried not to start crying. She knew what was happening. Was this really happening?

"Flowers." Norman said and refused to give her his bouquet.  
"Give her the flowers, Norman." Dylan hissed. "Like he said to."

Norman glared at his big brother but reluctantly gave his mother his own bouquet.

"Thank you, Norman." she said and carefully took her youngest's flowers, adding them to Dylan's.

Her oldest took her hand and pulled her, like a tow truck towards Alex waiting by Lucy.

She stopped about three feet from him. A sudden wave of embarrassment at such foolishness being displayed here. Alex handed her the largest bouquet and she was flushed with beautiful amounts of pinks, reds, orange and yellow flowers.  
"Hello, Sheriff." she said coyly holding her impressive bouquet.

"Hello, Mrs. Bates." he grinned.  
"I see you've been busy again. Mind telling me what you're up to?" she asked.

"I've got a question to ask you, Mrs. Bates." he said.

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

"Well, I'll answer any question you ask, Sheriff." she said grinning stupidly. She didn't think she'd ever smiled so much in her life.

He let out a flustered breath. His own nerves clearly getting the better of him.  
"Well, Mrs. Bates." he said. His voice trembling slightly. "I… um… I was wondering if… if you'd like to be Mrs. Romero."

Norma felt all the air leave the room. Her heart was pounding and she couldn't remember to talk. She watched, as if it were a movie and not real life, Alex pulling that faded ring box out of his pocket and open it.

The beautiful vintage ring shone perfectly in the light. Alex had obviously had it professionally cleaned since she last saw it. It was like it was calling to her. Asking her to wear it forever. She felt the need to wear this ring and no other adornments for the rest of her life. That this ring would be enough, that this man would be enough and this life would be enough.

"Alex." she breathed in surprise. She had to remember to breathe.  
"Mom, you're supposed to say yes." Dylan prompted.

"I think I'm supposed to be on one knee." Alex remembered. "Sorry about that."

"Alex!" she cried before he could even stoop down.

She was smiling uncontrollably and crying at the same time.  
"Yes." she sighed. "Yes, of course I'll marry you."

She was kissing him, Dylan shouting about the other kids in school and Norman was pulling on her skirt.

"Mother!" her youngest cried.

"I had to ask the boys for their blessing." Alex admitted when they finally pulled apart.

"Really?" she laughed.  
"It seemed only right." he told her. His hands moving over her hips again and to her bottom.

"Mother!" Norman shouted and tugged harder on her skirt.  
"Leave them alone, Norman!" Dylan told his younger brother. "They're our parents now, and they're supposed to kiss."

"Mother!" Norman said fitfully.  
"I wanted to get your approval before the boys started calling me dad." Alex whispered in her ear.

Norma felt her heart skip a beat. Sam never wanted to Dylan to call him dad. He didn't even seem to want to be that close to Norman.

"Oh." she cried with happiness. Tears were falling down her face at the unexpected offer of loving her children like his own.

"We should see if this ring fits." he offered mischievously. "I have to tell you, it's not new."

She was nodding and smiling.  
"It's beautiful." she sighed.  
"I started carrying this around after we found Gemma Harper." he admitted and slid the vintage ring on her finger. It felt heavy and comfortable and perfect once in place. The diamond looking not too garish, but defiantly enviable to other stones.

"You knew then?" she teased.

"I knew long before then, Mrs. Bates." he admitted. "I just started carrying the ring around then."

 **There! Happy?**

 **If you want teasers for the next chapter, please follow me on Instagram Angelofthemorning1978 or find me under #thesamecolorblue or just Normero. I always do a teaser for the next chapter like I always do a chapter a day. Drives my readers crazy!**

 **Pease leave me some feedback. I love to hear if you love or hate certain things.**

 **I'm also working on a new story. One where Norma lives after Norman gassed her in season 4.**


	96. Chapter 96

96.

~ "No." Norma snapped. "Alex, that will never happen."

"Why not?" Alex demanded.

"Because I'm not a twenty-five year old, girl with daddy's money to spend. I'm a twenty-five year old woman and I've got two kids and this is my third marriage." she said with a shaky breath.

Alex looked saddened by her statement.  
"I mean, Alex, this is my third marriage. I married my high school boyfriend when I was seventeen, divorced when I was nineteen, and I married Sam when I was twenty. I'm not even thirty and this will be my third marriage. What does that say about me?" she said bitterly.

Alex watched her cutting up green onions for dinner. Her hands shaking from the anxiety attack she could feel coming on.

"So, I'm sorry, but I don't think a big church wedding with flowers, and bridesmaids and catering and all that is the way to go. I did that with Sam, and with John we did the super cheap and cheesy quickie wedding. I would much rather just go down to City Hall and have a judge marry us.

Alex nodded.

"This will be you third marriage." he sighed. "It's going to be my second."

"What?" Norma gasped. A little smile teasing her lips. "You never told me you were married."

"I'm sure I did." he said.

"No, I would have remembered."

"I was twenty, I was still in the Marines and I had this whirlwind fling with the sister of one of my buddies. We got married two months later and divorced six months after that." he laughed at himself.  
"Oh, my God!" Norma laughed. "What happened?"

"I was too young and stupid." he said. "I realized a week into it that I had made a horrible mistake and became really unbearable to be around. Fighting with her brother, drinking too much. Just being an asshole. She left me."

He shrugged as if he expected nothing more.  
"Aw." she said.

"So, City Hall then?" he asked.

Norma nodded and felt a tightness in her chest start to ease.

"I'll wear a nice dress and you'll wear a nice suit. The boys will be there, Sybil can be our witness. We can all go out for ice-cream after. Then, we will be married." she said feeling relieved.

"As you wish, dear." Alex said.

Norma looked back at him.  
"You wanted a big church wedding, didn't you?" she asked sadly.  
"I want you to be my wife." he said simply. "The destination is more important that the means we use to get there."

Norma put down her knife and step around the counter to stand in front of him. Her arms going around his neck when she felt his hands wander down her back.  
"You're so good to me." she admitted. "Why are you so good to me?"

"A woman like you," he said slowly. "I have to pick my battles."

"A woman like me?" she grinned.

"Yeah." he teased. "A tiger."

"I'm a tiger?"

"Oh, yeah."

She pulled away when he tried to kiss her. Her instincts telling her to tease him a little more. Especially with this tiger revaluation. Alex took a firmer grip on her body. His hands latching tightly together around her waist so she couldn't get away.

"Why am I a tiger, Sheriff?" she asked playfully. Her lips curling into a smug smile.

Alex looked slightly embarrassed. She even thought he was blushing slightly.

"You're fearless." he said at last. "The first night I brought you here, told you about my mother, how my dad was, it was like you chased all those feelings away. I feel like you're so much stronger than I am sometimes. That you're kinder than I could ever be, but you're not afraid to stand up for yourself. I wish my mother could have been more like you. That she could have had your strength. Maybe she would have stayed in this world."

Norma pulled away from him slightly and studied his face. She had forgotten his mother had committed suicide in this house. Forgotten that his father was abusive and cruel. Alex was such a caring, thoughtful person, it was hard to believe he was raised in an environment like that.  
"I never would have been able to live in this house again if you weren't here, Norma." he said at last. "You're a fearless tiger. My demons are afraid of tigers."

Norma's hands slipped away from his neck and her fingers were tracing the lines of his chin. How ironic it was that he thought of her this way. That he thought she was brave enough to defeat all the bad things from his life. She barely had the courage to face the evils in her own past.

"My demons are afraid of bears." she said with a sudden wave of inspiration.

It was hard to read his expression for a few seconds, but this mouth slowly turned up into a grin and he was kissing her so gently, it was like he was afraid his tiger would break.

"I do love you, Mrs. Bates." he breathed. "I know I don't say it enough."

"You mean it." she whispered as her lips played over his. "That's all that matters."

"The boys are still outside?" he asked.

She felt his hands going down her back to cup her bottom.  
"You know they are, Sheriff." she teased.

Feeling alive with the prospect of danger, maybe even of getting caught, Norma gasped when his hands were pulling up her skirt and his fingers were tugging off her panties.  
"Alex?" she whispered worriedly checking the windows for any sign the boys might be around them. "We should go in the bedroom."

"No." he was panting and he slipped off her panties, the thin garment falling between her legs. She felt him shift to undo his pants. His mouth never able to leave hers till her skin took on that too hot feeling she had loved so much from their previous coupling.

It was the first time they had been together like this since the break up. Since the pregnancy scare last fall. There had been George in her life and when that was done, she and Alex mutually decided to give each other some space. Then the situation with Caleb and her parents had made them uneasy about being with each other again.

But now, now she wondered desperately why they weren't doing this all along. All that wasted time respecting each others boundaries when everything could have been so warm and exciting and wonderful.

She hardly realized her leg was hacked up around his waist. Hardly noticed that he had lifted her on to the kitchen counter and that he had slipped inside of her. He left her breathless and her body squirming for more of him. Alex wouldn't stop kissing her, his hips wouldn't stop moving in that wonderful way that excited her too quickly.

"Alex." she moaned and felt him rocking inside her. Her legs spreading wider and giving everything to him.  
"God, I've always loved you." he panted before his rhythm increased with his own lust.

Norma could do little more than hold onto him as his excitement reached it's peak, her inner walls snapping furiously around his member in a way that terrified and thrilled her.

When they finally pulled apart, there was a feeling of happiness mixed with embarrassment. He smiled at her and she tried not to giggle.  
"In the kitchen, Sheriff?" she whispered.

He looked guilty out the windows for signs of the boys.

"It's okay. They're off playing somewhere." he said breathlessly.

"Alex, I make the boys their breakfast on this countertop." Norma laughed suddenly.

"Maybe we should take this to the bedroom next time." he offered.

"Maybe not." she joked and kissed him sweetly on the lips.

~ The next morning, Alex woke up alone at his rental house in town. He got dressed in a suit and tie, decided the dark colors and white button up shirt was good enough for court, they would be good enough to get married in.

He didn't feel nervous about driving down to the courthouse and saying 'I Do' to Norma today. He was eager for it to happen. Eager to be her husband and have her be his wife. Eager for the boys to belong to him and to have his family become real.

He finished dressing, locked the front door when he left and took his SUV down to the courthouse where no one would suspect the Sheriff was about to get hitched.

He saw Lucy was sitting in the parking lot waiting for him. Norma having driven it to the courthouse because her car was still at home. He was pleased to see Lucy was the most impressive car in the lot. A sea of beige trucks, cars and vans looked pale and cheap next to Lucy's elegant blue and white lines.

It was the same with Norma Bates. She made any other woman look uninteresting by comparison. She was the Lucy in a parking lot of unimpressive, identical cars.

Alex had to remember to breathe when he caught a glimpse of Norma sitting alone on the back end of Lucy. He hadn't noticed she was there, thought she would be inside already.

He parked next to Lucy and got out.

Romero loved her wedding dress at first sight. It wasn't white, but a very pale cream color with a sky blue ribbon tied around the waist like an afterthought. Her dress was a delicate lace that was cut in the fashion women never wore anymore. Her dress looked more at home in the era Lucy was built than in modern times, but just now, the pair of them looked perfect together. Especially with Norma's fantastic legs crossed and one foot lazily switching back and forth.

The only thing spoiling the picture of perfection was Norma's sad face. She was sitting on Lucy's truck, her dress lovely and her hair and make up looking beautiful as always, but she seemed sad.

"Hello, Mrs. Bates." he said coming to stand in front of her.

Norma looked up at him and gave him a sad smile. Her eyes red from crying.

"Hello, Sheriff." she sighed.

 **I know. Keep the outrage to a minimum** **please.**


	97. Chapter 97

97.

~ Alex was careful how he approached his bride. He casually joined her on the back end of the car. The pair of them sitting primly on the Lucy's trunk in their best clothes.

"You look… beautiful." he said sincerely.

Norma was careful not to smudge her make up as she wiped her eyes.

"Thank you." she said miserably.

"I like your dress." he nodded at the delicate lacework on her skirt.

"This dress." she sighed with a shaky breath. She plucked at the hem of her dress and sighed. "You know when I bought this dress?"

Alex shook his head.

"It wasn't too long after I first came here. You and Wilson had almost run Dylan over that one Sunday. Do you remember?" she asked.

He nodded.

"It turned out to be such a nice day. I felt so comfortable with you, the way you talked to Dylan and held Norman's hand. I don't know. I just knew then. I had this premonition that I would need to buy a wedding dress." she shrugged. "So, about a week later, I was browsing in this little vintage shop and found this, and bought it."

Alex watched her as tears welled up again.

"Then, Sam came back, my arm was broken and that whole mess with Shelby." she shivered at mentioning Zac. The memory of his former deputy obviously making her skin crawl. "Then, we didn't talk for a long time, then the car accident."

They exchanged looks and her eyes were the same color blue of an approaching storm.

Alex nodded, waiting for her to go on. "The point is, I've had this dress for over a year now. Because, I knew that I wanted to marry you. Isn't that silly? It's just sat in my closet all this time. You gave me this… amazing, beautiful ring. I can tell it obviously belonged to someone very special to you and… and I don't deserve it." she said.

Alex wasn't sure what to say. He opened his mouth, but closed it again.

"Because, you know, this is my third marriage and I'm not going to make you a good wife. I'm not good at being a wife. I'm not good at the whole honor and obey thing. I'm good at being a mother, but not a wife. I always put my children first and I always will. If we were on a sinking ship and there was a life boat that would only hold three, I would want to save myself and the boys first." she said with a shaky breath.

Tears fell out of her eyes and Alex found his handkerchief in his jacket pocket to give to her. He said nothing and let her keep talking.

"I hate myself for thinking like that, but it's true. You deserve someone who will put you first. Who doesn't have all this… baggage. All this mess." she let out a long breath and looked away from him.

He was about to argue with her, but decided to remain silent. She wasn't done talking yet.

"I just have the feeling that… that it's all going to come back and hurt you. All of it. Things about me, will come out and will humiliate you. You're the only person I've ever cared about, more than my own needs or my children's needs. The last thing in the world I want to do is hurt you. I don't want that. I know that if I'm your wife…" she sniffed and dabbed at her eyes with his handkerchief. "That, eventually, you'll be miserable because of me. I can't bear that."

Alex nodded, but remained silent.

"I'm sorry." she said.

"Marriage is a big step." he agreed at last. "Maybe we should think about this."

She looked miserable, but nodded.

"First of all, you **are** a mother. Nothing should come between you and your children. Especially a new husband who isn't their real father." he said sadly. "I mean that's just biology. It's natural to put your children first."

Norma looked ready to cry again.

"Secondly, I never expected you to honor and obey me. I mean, I knew that would never happen the second you insulted the noble sport of fishing." he said dryly.

"It's not a sport." she interrupted.

"We'll agree to disagree."

Norma rolled her eyes and he thought he saw a faint smile, but it was gone too quickly.

"As for your baggage coming back to hurt me, I think it's done all the damage it's capable of. Everyone who's ever hurt you is dead, in prison or run out of town. If anyone tries to hurt you, they'll have to go through me first." he explained. "I doubt anyone wants to go through me. I'm told I'm not that pleasant when you're not around."

This time he was sure he saw her smile.

"As for not being a good wife, I'm not sure I'd make a good husband." he admitted. "I'm not the best guy in the world. I've been a bachelor for a long time now, I'm not that easy to live with and I work a lot."

Norma looked ready to argue but he went on.

"So, lets make a compromise to marriage. Why don't we just agree to take care of each other? Let's just look after one another, protect each other, care for each other and love each other. I mean it's not forever, just for the next fifty years or so." he offered.

She started laughing. Her tears happy now instead of sad.

"That might work." she said weakly.

"We're not on a sinking ship, Norma." he said. "There won't come a time where I'll make you chose between me or one of your children."

He laced his fingers in hers and she was smiling.

"So, you still want to be Mrs. Romero?" he asked.

"I do." she said and looked down at the ring he'd given her.

"It was my mother's." he nodded to impressive stone in it's classic setting.

"I figured." she sighed. "It's beautiful."

"I know it's not as expensive as the other ring you had. The one from George." he said feeling insecure about giving her used jewelry.

"I like Mrs. Romero's ring the best." she said with a real smile. "Your dad had good taste."

"The men in my family always did have good taste in jewelry and women." he shrugged.

Norma started to giggle again and Alex looked at his watch.

"Are the boys inside?" he asked.

"With Sybil and Charlotte." she explained. "I told them I needed a minute."

"It's about time for us to pull the trigger, Mrs. Bates. Are you ready?" he asked.

She let out a nervous breath and was still trembling.

"Ready as I'll ever be." she admitted.

Alex took ahold of her left hand and watched the light play off of his mother's ring. He gently kissed her palm before cupping her hand in both of his. "Alright, Sheriff." she sighed and he stood before helping his bride step down off of Lucy's trunk.

"I really love this dress." he said looking over the full effect of her vintage look. The blue ribbon around her waist accented her eyes to perfection. "Norman and Dylan helped with the finishing touches." she said playfully. "Something blue."

He was smiling at her and pulling her towards City Hall. "Come on, Mrs. Bates. Let's get hitched." he said.

~ It wasn't everyday that the Sheriff of this small community got married. So, when she and Alex filled out a simple form at the front desk and turned it into the clerk, there was a lot of surprised looks from the staff there.

Norma felt Alex's hand on the small of her back after he'd signed the marriage license and slid the paper work towards her.

"We'll call you when the judge is ready, Sheriff Romero." the clerk said.

"Thanks, Wendy." Alex said casually. He seemed no more nervous than if he were paying a parking ticket.

Norma let out another pent up breath and spotted the boys with Sybil and Charlotte down the hall.

The two women were having an animated conversation when the prospective newlyweds joined them. "And his hair!" Charlotte was saying. "He gets it cut way too short. I mean if he ever went bald it would be the worst."

"We'll that's Norma's problem now." Sybil shrugged.

"I don't know if I like the idea of you two hanging out." Alex said and Norma couldn't stop smiling. "We're just comparing notes, Little Bear." Sybil told him innocently.

"Yeah but something tells me you're both plotting something against me." Alex said. "We're plotting lots of things." Charlotte told him honestly. "But none that involve you… yet."

"Yeah." Sybil agreed. "But we're both happy that you two are getting married."

"Finally." Charlotte huffed.

"Yes, finally. I thought I'd be dead before this day happened." Sybil added.

"Me to." Charlotte said with an eye roll. "Enough." Alex barked. "Thanks for making me your best man." Charlotte said with her shark grin.

She looked radiant as always in a navy dress that wasn't overly sexual. Yet, on Charlotte, everything looked sexual. Sybil wore the same basic gray suit dress and pearls she wore to Wilson's funeral. It must be her standard dress up clothes for over a decade now. The look had a 1980's feel to them.

Dylan and Norman were in their best clothes as well and were being held in place by both Sybil and Charlotte. Apparently both women made good jailers for rambunctious little boys. They both looked too afraid to move.

"Boys, we ready to be a family?" Alex asked. "Yup!" Dylan said eagerly and Norman looked worried. "Norman? Are you okay, Honey?" Norma asked. She went to examine her youngest a little closer but the clerk called their names.

"Sheriff Romero, Norma Bates?" he said in a crisp professional voice.

Norma straitened up and she and Alex exchanged looks. He extended his hand to her and she took it. The contact was like he'd thrown her a lifeline. An invitation to use his strength to get through this.

"It's not forever." she whispered when she grasped his arm and they walked into the courtroom together. "It's just for the next fifty years."

"If we're lucky." he added mischievously and she surpassed the urge to grin.

 **I know this could have been one chapter... but where is the fun in that? (evil laughter)**


	98. Chapter 98

98.

~ "Alex!" Norma shirked in surprise.  
"Sorry, Mrs. Sheriff." he said playfully trying to grab her again.

"We haven't even been on our honeymoon for five seconds!" she laughed and retied the blue ribbon around her dress again.

This was the third time she had to scold him about this same issue after the small, effective wedding service and a cozy dinner with Sybil, Charlotte and the boys. Alex couldn't seem to keep his hands to himself. Especially when it came to the ribbon around her waist. It seemed far too much of a temptation to want to tug it free and annoy his new bride.

"You're like a kid at Christmas!" she scolded playfully and tried to step away from him. He was too fast for her and blocked her only exit.  
"And it's time to open presents." he said seriously.

Norma was having trouble keeping a strait face, when she knew what he wanted. What they both wanted. What was both expected of them on their wedding night.

"Would it be okay to call the boys before we leave?" she asked.

Alex was running his hands over her shoulders, letting his fingers trickle all the way down her arms till their hands met.  
"I suppose so, Mrs. Sheriff." he sighed. "It's been an hour since you last saw them at dinner."

"Alex!" she said pitifully. "Norman isn't used to being away from me for three whole days."

"I'm sure they are both having the time of their lives with Charlotte at the farm. She's teaching them all about proper handgun safety and how to throw a grenade the right way." he said.

"Alex, that's not funny!" Norma snapped. "What if she's really doing that?"

"Go ahead and call, Mrs. Sheriff." he said generously. "I can wait."

"This boat doesn't leave the dock yet." Norma offered as her new husband left their cabin. "Then you'll have me all to yourself."

"I know." he said before closing the door, going back up on deck, and leaving her alone to make her call.

No one had been more surprised than Norma Romero when Alex had turned Lucy into the docks and she saw "In The Jailhouse Now" was sitting in the water. The red fishing boat had been outfitted with romantic string lighting over the railing. She had even commented that a honeymoon on a fishing boat was the last thing she had expected. She secretly thought it was the last thing she wanted. A part of her groaning internally at the prospect of three days at sea on Wilson's disgusting old boat.

But to her surprise, Alex had cleaned the boat up till she looked almost new again. Her cabin downstairs was outfitted with a cozy and romantic bed and the bathrooms were functional again. Alex had even painted the cabin so it looked more expensive and livable. Now, she wouldn't mind staying here for the next three days with him. It felt like she was on her own private cruise ship.

The phone line was still connected to the mainland and she hesitated before calling home to check on the boys. Alex was right, she had just seen them an hour ago and she trusted Charlotte to care for them for three days.

"Come on, Mrs. Romero." she sighed before returning the phone back to it's cradle. She pulled the blue ribbon off her wedding dress and started unpacking her bags.

~ Alex started the engines to "In The Jailhouse Now" and left them to idle for a while. He was glad Norma liked his honeymoon treat. At least, he thought she liked it. He had spent a lot of time and energy to get this old boat looking good again. He was sure it had ever looked so pristine, even when it was new.

He waited about ten minutes, helped himself to some of the chilled champagne on deck, and finally put the engines into gear. The boat lurching forward out of the docks, must have been the brightest thing on the water that night. The white lights he'd carefully strung, with Chuck's help, really helped to set the mood tonight now that it was dark outside.

He skillfully steered the boat out of the bay and into the open sea. Coincidently taking the same path that would have them pass over Bob Paris' watery grave. Alex imagined his old friend below these very waters, entombed in his own get away boat.

It was enough to send chills down the Sheriff's back if he felt any kind of guilt about Bob. The fact was that Bob Paris had been a danger to Norma and God only knew who else. It was worth the risk and potential backlash to just get rid of him for good.

Alex kept his gaze and focus on the dark waters as he headed out to the nearest light house for the night. They could dock there safely and then start early with a new view to wake up to. He was so focused on the landmark of lights that he didn't notice he wasn't alone on deck.

"Sheriff?" Norma called innocently.

He didn't turn around, but adjusted the heading so they would miss shallow reefs.  
"Yes, Mrs. Romero?" he asked lazily. The champagne and excitement of the day already making him a little sleepy.

"It's a little cold out here." Norma said with a sigh.

Alex put down his glass and finally turned around.

Norma, in her typical fashion, had left him speechless. She had changed from her lovely wedding dress with that enticing blue ribbon, to a breathtakingly beautiful lace negligee with a corset. It looked like the corset was laced up with that same blue ribbon that had been driving him crazy all day.

Alex almost lost control of the helm when he saw her and had to reduce speed for fear of running the boat aground.

Norma looked very pleased with herself. Her honeymoon costume having the desired effect of being very tasteful, yet far too sexual for her husband to ignore.

"Mrs. Romero." he said sternly. It was as if she was in trouble. "You'll catch cold out here wearing on that."

"Oh dear, Sheriff." she said with a smile. "I forgot it is almost fall."  
"Maybe you should go below deck." he advised.

"Well, I was hoping my husband would join me, Sheriff. I have a present for him to unwrap." she said tugging on that blue ribbon that he couldn't keep his hands off of before.  
"Mrs. Romero." he sighed feeling a deeper longing for her than he had ever felt before. "Your husband will join you as soon as he's safely docked this boat. We don't want to run aground, do we?"

"No, Sheriff." she conceded with a teasing smile that made his pulse quicken. "I suppose we don't."

She gave him one last flirtatious glance before gracefully back into their cabin below deck.

Alex let out a breath and tried to compose himself. He had all the time in the world with his tiger, no sense in letting her maul him to death tonight.

On second thought.

Romero killed the engines, waited for the boat to stop drifting with the left over momentum, and dropped anchor about two miles from his planned dock. He finished the last of his drink and went below deck to Norma. That blue ribbon wasn't going to untie itself.

 **~ Six Months Later ~**

~ "Alex!" Norma shouted in frustration. "Why did you have to leave the kitchen like this? That's the last thing I want to see!"

Romero was about to school the boys on the correct way to throw a baseball. He had caught Norman, in a fit of anger, trying to hit his brother with a base ball and decided it was time he learned to throw correctly.

He had even told the youngest child that he would never hit Dylan if he kept throwing like that.

"Like what?" Alex asked innocently.

"You left tools all over the countertop this morning, and old coffee in the pot. Again!" Norma scolded with real irritation.

"Norma, I just got off a twelve hour shift." he explained. "All I want to do is relax and teach Norman how to properly hit Dylan with a baseball."

"What, and I don't work?" Norma snapped in disbelief. "I work, on my feet, all day. Then I come home and cook and clean while you relax with the boys."

Alex was about to argue. About to point out his job was much more demanding than hers, but he knew better than to pull the tiger's tale.

"You know the house and dishes don't just magically clean themselves, Alex." she explained as with quick, effortless grace, Norma cleared off the kitchen counter of the tools he'd left there last night. "Neither does dinner just appear. After work I always go to the store. Everyday I'm going to the grocery store because it's like a second job making sure you boys are fed and taken care of."

She was starting in a full lecture now, and Alex wished Dylan and Norman was there to help absorb some of their mother's abuse. They were smart enough to steer clear of the house when they had seen Norma looking tired and ready to be angry after a long day.

"I would love to have free time to help Norman abuse his brother, or maybe even have a real hobby of my own, but I have to devote all my energy to cooking and cleaning and laundry." she waved a hand at the pile of clothing her boys had managed to rack up in just a few days.

"Did you call the insurance company about adjusting our rates?" she asked.

Alex had complexity forgotten.  
"No, I'll do it tomorrow." he promised.

"Alex!" she cried. "I reminded you this morning. You said you would call Leon and that you would take care of it."

"Norma, I will do it tomorrow." he told her. "It will be handled."

"Leave his number, I'll do it." she snapped. "I'm sure I have ten minutes to spare at some point in my day."

Alex breathed a sigh of relief when he saw his wife storm out of the kitchen and into the laundry room to start a wash. He quickly escaped outside. Norman was eager to learn the art of pitching so he could launch a sneak attack on his brother.

~ Romero had been in his office all morning when he had an unexpected visitor. He'd been so bogged down with paperwork, he had barley had a chance to glance at the newly framed picture of his family on their wedding day.

A helpful clerk at City Hall had snapped a picture using Sybil's old camera. To everyone's surprise, the picture had turned out far better than expected. The old camera, a relic even by Sybil's standards, had produced a picture that seemed captured from another age. He and Norma looked like they belonged in another century, their features dramatic and sharp in the sepia tinted photo. The boys, Charlotte and Sybil looked equally beautiful and mysterious in the only wedding photo he and Norma now had.

She had loving christened it the family portrait and had a copy placed on the mantle piece next to the picture of Alex and his mother, and Norman and Dylan's school and candid pictures.

Alex had taken the liberty of framing a copy for his desk. He liked looking up from the stress of his job to see Norma's angelic face in her perfection of a wedding dress. The odd sepia tones bringing out the detail of the lace that would have been lost if the wedding picture was in color. It was almost like this picture haunted him when he saw his bride in it. Like he had lost her somehow and now she was too perfect to ever touch again.

"Sheriff Romero?" came a female voice from his door.

Alex looked up to see a professional looking blond woman in a pant suit standing in the doorway. She held out her state ID and he saw that she was law enforcement.

"Yes?" he asked curiously.

"I'm Detective Chambers with the Oregon State Police. Do you have a moment?" she asked politely before coming into the office and closing the door behind her.

Alex leaned back in his chair and surveyed her carefully.  
"What can I help you with, Detective?" he asked suspiciously.

"I'm actually here about your wife, Norma Calhoun." Detective Chambers said.  
"Romero." he corrected. "It's Norma Romero. She took my name."

"Of course." Detective Chambers said. "This is a curtesy, my coming to you first. Seeing as how you're married to her."

"What's this about?" Alex asked curtly.  
Detective Chambers didn't seem fazed by his rudeness.

"Frankly, Sheriff, it's about her involvement with what happened in the Summer's house six months ago." she said.  
"That case is closed." Alex said sharply. "Caleb Calhoun confessed to all those murders."

"Yes, Norma Romero's brother did confess to murdering his parents, his lawyer and a girl named Dawn Lewis so he could take her van." Chambers agreed.  
"No one else knows Norma is Caleb's sister and I'd like to keep it that way." Alex said.  
"I can't promise you anything, Sheriff, but I'll certainly try over the corse of my investigation to be discreet." Chambers said.  
"What investigation?"

"We have evidence that directly contradicts Caleb Calhoun's involvement in the death of Dawn Lewis." Chambers said. "Evidence that implicates Norma Romero in this murder."

"What evidence?" Alex huffed.

"Enough to request an interview to establish her involvement or lack there of in these slayings." Chambers said. "Curiously, she was never interviewed by Agent Evans after the event."

Alex felt his chest tighten.

"Detective, my wife doesn't remember much about what happened. She's blocked it out. I'd rather you not pull that thread." he said.  
"I'm afraid I have to, Sheriff." she said.

"Detective." Romero told her sternly. "If you speak to my wife about this, I will be in the room with you. I don't want her upset."

"She's of sound mind, Sheriff." the detective said.  
"My wife is three months pregnant with our first child, Detective." Romero snapped. "I don't want her upset by this. I won't tolerate it."

 **Good day. I spent it with my sister. I'm so blessed she's in my life after losing our dad.**

 **I know, I didn't do a good sexy time honeymoon scene. I will eventually.**

 **As for their married couple fight. Hey, that's real life. I've been married 15 years and trust me, sometimes I'm looking for shit to be pissed off at my husband about. It's hard because he's so wonderful. That jerk!**

 **Detective Chambers, we saw her in the last ep of season 4.**


	99. Chapter 99

99.

~ Norma was playing piano when Alex arrived home. Her new husband had paid for the piano to be moved to the farm house where she could enjoy it everyday. He'd done it without asking, or even saying anything. When they had come back from their three day boat trip her piano, pretty as ever, was siting in the living room where the china hutch used to be.

Her new husband was fond of hearing her play. He never complained the music was interrupting a sporting event TV or giving him a headache. He liked it especially when Norma would sing with the boys in an effort to teach them to play.

Even if she was butchering the song, her new husband would listen. A contented smile on his face.

"I know, I know, you belong-ah-ah-ong to some-ah-ah-body new. But tonight, you belong-ong, to me." she sang carefully hitting her mark. "Way down, by the stream. How sweet, it would seem. Once more just to dream, in the moonlight. My honey."

She played the chorus out with a flourish before leafing through her song book. She was grateful for having a day off. Glad she could clean the house like she wanted, work on a few sewing projects she'd been putting off. She had forgotten having a husband was sometimes like having another child to care for. A husband required feeding and looking after, almost as much as a child did.

The day in and day out of caring for her family was wearing her out. There was always laundry to do, baths to force the boys to take, dinners to cook, dishes to wash, grocery lists to fill and to top it all off, The Old Girl was making a funny noise and Alex would have to take her to the shop for repairs soon. She was exhausted from not sleeping enough. Of getting up early to make sure the boys were up and seeing them off to school. She also wasn't sleeping very well at night. Her dreams plagued with images she wasn't sure were real or not.

Maybe the stress of a new husband and home was getting to her a little. Or maybe it was just her current condition that was causing her too feel overly sensitive and irritated. She didn't want to admit it was the later, she wanted to still be in control of her own body. Not be helpless to mood swings like she had been with Dylan and Norman.

' _I just know you're a boy._ ' she thought to herself remembering the morning sickness she still wasn't over and the water weight gain that made all her clothes too tight. She was uncomfortable, bloated, sick, cranky and tired. Only a boy could make her feel all that.

She heard Alex come in as she was playing, and singing "I can't give you anything but love, Baby." on the piano. She felt his footsteps on the hardwood floors of the old house and knew he was waiting for her to finish her song before speaking.

She finished and turned to him. Her smile sad and remorseful.  
"Hi, honey." she said.

"You're looking better." Alex nodded and came to sit beside her on the piano bench. He took her hand in his and started playing with her fingers. He only did this when he was nervous about something.  
"I'm feeling a little more energetic today." she told him. "I was able to sleep in, so that helps. Thanks for taking the boys to school and daycare this morning."

"My pleasure." he said. "I think that works better for us till we get the car fixed anyway."

"I'm sorry I was so mean last night before dinner." she admitted. "I was tired."

"No, it's fine." he said. "You're right, I do need to help out more. Especially now."

He nodded towards the general direction of her abdomen. They hadn't talked about the pregnancy much since she told him last month. Alex had seemed fine about the new edition, but she wasn't sure yet if he was happy about the prospect. They hadn't even said the word 'baby' yet. It was always how she was feeling, what did she need. It didn't feel like her other pregnancies. It felt more like she had a rare and temperamental medical condition than something that was as natural as the sun rising.

It was still early. Maybe it would feel more real when she felt it kicking and when they saw the sonogram together. Right now, it didn't seem life altering yet.

"You're home early." she said after he'd played with her fingers for a while. His hands examining her nails and letting her fingers curl over his thumb.

"Yeah." he said. He nodded over to the kitchen table where she had started making curtains for the living room.

"You've kept busy." he said.

"I found that old sewing machine in the hall closet last week and decided to make curtains for the living room." she explained.  
"I didn't know you sewed." he said appreciatively.  
"I used to make my own clothes in high school." she told him with a touch of nostalgia. She had learned to see in Home Economics when she was only thirteen and had become skilled enough to create an unlimited wardrobe for herself. She had even been voted best dressed her Junior year. No one who saw her would have guessed she lived in a squalled house with no heat or running water. She was very good at keeping up appearances. Of keeping everyone fooled.

"That's impressive." he said.

"Do you like the fabric? I thought the yellow was a bit dated." she said worried he might be sensitive to curtains obviously made by his mother.  
"No, it's good to have a change. We changed the bathroom after all." he said.

"It turned out beautifully." she said with a giddy smile. She had loved that bathroom, his wedding present to her, more than anything. They had come back from their honeymoon to find that not only was her piano here, but the bathroom was finished as well. Complete with an old fashioned clawfoot tub and new fixtures. It looked so pristine, she hated having to share it with Alex. She wanted all to herself to the point she seriously thought about making her husband use the boys bathroom down the hall.

"Do you like the colors? I think the jewel tones on the white background make them look more sophisticated." she said knowingly.  
"Um… yeah. They're nice." Alex agreed. Hopelessly indifferent to curtain fabric choices.  
"You know, I would like to have guests over now that the house is almost done." she said.

"We can have Sybil over." he said.  
"No, I mean like a dinner party." she said eagerly. "Deputy Washington and his wife, maybe the girls from work can come over. I always dreamed that I'd have this home where friends could come and go, and everything would just be… lovely."

Alex looked unsure about a dinner party, but gave her a nervous smile anyway.  
"Maybe we could announce our big news to everyone then." she said hopefully.

"Maybe." he agreed.  
"Alex, whats wrong?" she asked.

He took a deep breath, tried to look at her and failed.

"What is it? What's happened?" she asked.

"Norma, the State Police want to interview you tomorrow about what happened at the old Summer's house. What your parents and brother did to you and Norman." he said.  
"I told you… I told Charlotte…" she said feeling her heart rate speed up. "I don't remember."

"That's not good enough this time, Norma." Alex said. "They have your prints in the blood of that girl."

"Because I had to clean up her blood." Norma said. Her stomach twisting in a knot at the memory of seeing that kitchen floor, that living room rug. "There was blood everywhere, Alex. I'm not surprised my prints have blood on them."

"I know there was blood everywhere." he agreed. That's why it took so long to process the crime scene."

"Caleb killed them all. He even killed our parents. He would have killed me. He would have killed Norman." she went on. "Why… why do they want to ask me anything? I don't know anything. I didn't do anything."

"Norma, it's going to be okay." he said. She felt a panic attack coming for her. She could feel the sharp talons of the black bird on her shoulder again.

' _Dummy… dummy… dummy…_ ' it was whispering.

"Norma?" Alex asked and she tried to focus on him again.  
"I don't want to talk to them." she said.

"You have to."

"I don't have any new information!" she insisted hotly.

"They just want to know what you saw. What you did and what you didn't do." he said calmly.  
"What do you mean what I didn't do? Do they think I didn't try to escape? Because I did, Alex. I tried to climb out of the attic window and scale down that roof. Caleb caught me and…"

She bit her lower lip and her vision blurred with tears.  
"Norma." he said calmly.

She turned away from him, yanking back her hand, and standing up.

Her habit whenever she was nervous was to clean and she started to work on her kitchen. Washing down the countertop with vinegar and baking soda. Now that she was in a condition, she refused to use chemicals when cleaning.

"Norma?" Alex called.

"No, it's fine. I just hope they don't think I know exactly what happened. I don't remember much and it's been more than six months. It's kind of odd that they want to ask me now, right? I mean, we've moved on with our lives haven't we? Why drag up the past?" she said angrily. "Norman's doing much better. Isn't he? He hasn't been talking about blood or knives or cutting people. He hasn't done that since we got married."

"Norma?" Alex said and he was standing beside her. She stopped cleaning when she felt him pull her hips toward him. His hands forcing her body to turn and face him.

"Norma, we'll be fine." he promised. "It's just a few questions and then we never have to think about it again. I don't want you too stressed out about this. It's not good for the baby."

Norma felt her heart leap with joy. He'd finally called it 'the baby'. It was real for him after all.  
"Okay." she said weakly.

She loved the way his arms encircled her waist when he leaned in to kiss her. Loved how he made her kiss him first before he attacked her.  
"It's going to be fine." he promised when they broke apart and his lips moved to her neck. "As long as we're together, nothing bad can happen."

 **Wow! Tomorrow will mark a hundred chapters already! Not too shabby, folks. They have come a long way since Norma first came to WPB. Of course I can't allow Normero to be happy for too long. I wonder what Norma will remember about being with her parents? About the murders. Oh dear, what if she did something horrible and just blocked it out?**


	100. Chapter 100

100.

~ Detective Chambers was waiting for Sheriff and Mrs. Romero the next morning.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet with me, Mrs. Romero." the detective said with professional curtesy. "We just have a few questions to ask you."

"I'm not sure what information I can give you." Norma sighed. Alex sat next to his wife in the interrogation room. Since Norma wasn't under arrest, there was nothing to prevent him from being supportive to his spouse. He could tell Detective Chambers didn't like him being there, maybe it threw her off her game a little. To question someone who's husband was a Sheriff and to have that same Sheriff sitting right next to her.

"There are just some lose ends we need to tie up before the case can be closed." Chambers said and sat down across from them.

"What lose ends?" Norma asked. "I thought Caleb was found guilty last month and sentenced to two life sentences."

"He was." Chambers said knowingly. "Because the evidence backed up what he claimed to have done to his parents. There are other issues we need to understand before we can declare this case closed."

"What kind of issues?" Norma asked nervously. Alex glanced at his wife and then glared back at Detective Chambers. The detective was opening a folder and pulling out an 8x10 photo of one of the victims.

"How well did you know Dawn Lewis before she died, Mrs. Romero?" Detective chambers asked.

Norma looked over the nice looking girl who was murdered for her van.

"I… I didn't." Norma said. "I was just… I walked into the living room and she was already dead."

"She was already dead the first time you ever saw her?" Detective Chambers asked.

"Yes. She was lying on the living room floor. She was bleeding and she wasn't moving. My mother was holding my son… I think it was my mother holding my son, and I was more focused on getting to him." Norma explained.

"What about the dead girl?" Chambers asked. "Did you do anything to assist her? To revive her?"

"Why would I?" Norma asked and Alex felt ice water run through his veins. That was the worst answer she could have given.

"Miss Lewis was already dead. Right?" Alex turned to Norma. "Our son was in danger and as a mother, she was trying to keep him safe first."

"As a mother, I would have thought she would have at least tried to check and see if Miss Lewis, a seventeen year old girl, was dead at the time she was buried in the back yard, or just knocked out." Chambers snapped accusingly.

"She was bleeding on the floor. She wasn't moving and my son was constantly in danger." Norma snapped right back. "I had to keep myself and my son alive. I didn't want to upset my parents."

"You mean Caleb." Chambers corrected. "According to his own statements, Caleb Calhoun was responsible for your kidnapping along with your parents kidnapping."

"I… I didn't want to upset anyone." Norma amended.

"Did you see what happened to Dawn Lewis?" Chambers asked.  
"I told you, the first time I ever saw her was in the living room after she'd been killed. I didn't see what had happened to her." Norma said.

"So, wait." Chambers asked and pulled free another picture from the file, you didn't give her a note in case she managed to escape? A note for Sheriff Alex Romero informing him of what had happened to you?"

Alex felt the shock, along with Norma when they both looked over the photo of a dirty, hand written letter in Norma's handwriting.

"We found it in Dawn's pocket." Chambers said. "With the rain and the decomposition of the body, it was hard to tell what was written, but our lab guys managed to clean it up. Did you want to read the transcripts?"

"No." Norma said.  
"Yes." Alex said at the same time.  
"Well, let me read them to you." Chambers said and cleared her throat. "Alex, I'm at the big old house by the seafarer motel on the highway. Caleb came back like you knew he would. He made me and Norman leave with him. I haven't seen Norman in two days. I don't know if he's safe or not. They're keeping me in the basement because I tried to escape. I'm sending this note with Dawn. She's been here longer than I have. She's going to try and get out tonight. Please come. Please make sure Norman is okay first. All my love, Norma."

Chambers finished reading Norma's note to Alex in an indifferent voice that bordered on condescending.

"Mrs. Romero, this note suggests you knew Dawn Lewis, enough for her to trust you, before she was killed. That in fact, she had been held at the Summers' house for days longer than you. That she planned an escape and you wrote a note to Sheriff Romero telling him where you were. What happened when she tried to escape?" Chambers asked.

Alex was looking at the photograph of the note. It was written on simple, but faded notebook paper. Norma's girlish swirls and loops were evident even if the note was battered from being in the dead girl's pocket when she was buried.

"I… I don't know." Norma breathed.  
"How long were you two kept in that basement?" Chambers asked.

Norma shook her head. Tears were rolling down her face.  
"Until, they… until I was let out." she explained.  
"Did you assist your brother in the murder of Dawn Lewis?" Chambers asked.

"I helped him clean up the mess." Norma explained. "They told me to."

"They?"

"My parents told me to clean up the mess. I always cleaned up the mess." Norma said weakly.  
"Keep in mind her life and the life of her child were in extreme danger. She acted in self protection. You can't charge her for accessory after the fact because she helped her sadist brother clean up. He was constantly threatening to kill her and her son." Alex interjected.  
"Thank you, Sheriff." Chambers said in annoyance. "I know the law."

Chambers turned back to Norma.

"Your parents made you do the clean up?" the detective asked.  
"Yes." Norma nodded.

"You away cleaned up the mess after them?" Chambers asked.  
"Not for a long time." Norma reasoned.  
"Because you moved away. You got married to your first husband and moved away." Chambers said.  
"Yes." Norma admitted.

"So, before that, you cleaned up what exactly?" Chambers asked.

Norma was about to answer when Alex stopped her.  
"Our focus is what happened in the Summers' house, detective. Not her childhood." he said.

"By her own admission, her childhood and the incident at the Summers house might be related." Chambers said with another eye roll. "Now, Sheriff, if you interfere with my line of questioning again, I'll have you removed from this room."

"We will not answer anymore questions without a lawyer if you try to make me leave." Alex said cooly. "How far do you think you'll get with one of the sneaky criminal lawyers I know?"

He hadn't meant it to sound so threatening. It had just come out that way. He refused to have the woman carrying his child bullied by anyone.

"You said you cleaned up the blood from Dawn Lewis?" Chambers said after she glared hatefully at Romero.

"Yes." Norma said with a shaky breath.

"The lawyer to? You said before today you had cleaned up the blood of the lawyer." Chambers said.

"It was in the kitchen." Norma told her. "The first night I was there."

"Did you see the lawyer? Alive or otherwise?" Chambers asked.

"No. Never." Norma said shaking her head.

"You didn't, maybe, help your brother burry his body in the back yard?"

"No. Caleb did that alone."

"When we exhumed the lawyer, Mr. Allen Hurt's body, from the yard, we found a number of blond hairs and blood under his nails." Chambers explained pulling another picture from her folder.  
Norma and Alex saw the deadman's hand was decayed but clearly had dried blood and hair caked onto his nails and hands.

"Mrs. Romero, we've already tested the hairs of your mother and it wasn't a match. Miss Lewis had dark hair. The blood had genetic markers that were in common for your parents and brother, yet not an exact match. That leaves you." Chambers said.

"You think that's my blood and hairs on his hand?" Norma asked. "How would they have gotten there?"

"You tell me Mrs. Romero." Chambers asked. "Did Caleb's lawyer make you go with him? Did he attack you? Did you and your brother help kill his lawyer as well as Miss Lewis?" Chambers asked.  
"That's enough!" Alex snapped. "She has answered all her questions and we're done here."

"Sheriff, we are far from being done." Chambers said harshly.  
"Well, call somebody. Issue a warrant for her arrest. If you're going to charge her, you do it right now, Detective." he said in a tone he only used when talking to criminals.

He turned to his wife who looked flushed and upset.

"We're going home and I'll have our lawyer call you." he said and stood up. Norma quickly stood up with him and they both headed for the door.

~ "Alex, we don't really need to hire a lawyer do we?" Norma asked once they were safely in his SUV and driving home.  
Her husband looked upset.

"I mean. I was in that house for more than a week. My hairs could have gotten onto his skin at anytime." she explained.  
"What about the note, Norma?" he sighed. "Why did you tell us you'd never seen that girl until after she was dead?"

"I… I didn't remember." Norma said feeling a crying jag coming on. "I just blocked it all out."

"Norma, we're going home and you have to tell me the absolute truth so we can keep you out of prison." her husband said.

"I thought you said I couldn't be charged with accessory after the fact. I was kidnapped." she said.

"You lied to police. They have evidence you lied to them." Alex said. "They won't believe you were kidnapped."

Norma shivered at the coldness that passed through them.

"Alex?" she asked. "Do you believe me?"

 **Chapter 100! Longest story I've ever done! I normally don't ask, but please review!**


	101. Chapter 101

101.

~ Norma loved the way this old house smelled and the sounds it made during a rain storm. It was like she was protected in Alex's family home when the weather got this bad outside. It's strong walls and windows keeping out the turbulent rain that would soon flood the yard.

"We're going to lose power." Alex groaned when they were safely inside again. He started to lock down the windows and the doors against the rain.  
"Dylan and Norman?" she asked.  
"It's not even noon yet, Norma." her husband said. He latched closed the storm shutters to the windows and came back inside. "The boys are safe at school."

She nodded and watched the lights in the living room start to flicker. It was common to lose power in the remote farm house when the weather turned bad like this. Alex had a generator, but with a gas stove and natural light everywhere, there was no real need for it. Once it got dark, it was easy enough to break out flashlights and have the boys pretend to be Jedi Knights until it was bed time.

"Maybe you should go to bed. Get some rest." Alex offered brushing the dirt from the storm shutters off his hands.  
"I don't need to rest." Norma snapped.

Her husband looked back at her, then away again.

"Alex, I don't remember talking to that girl." she insisted. "It's been six months now. If I didn't remember then, why would I remember now?"

"They are going to try and say you helped Caleb or your parents hurt that girl and the lawyer." Alex told her calmly.

"If anything, that note proves I was trying to help her." Norma said quickly. She was feeling slightly irrational just now. That black bird on her shoulder was laughing at her. "I mean, it sounds like she trusted me enough to tell me about her plans. That girl… what's her name?"

"Dawn." Alex said. "Dawn Lewis."

"It sounds like this Dawn Lewis and I were in the basement together and she told me she planned to escape." Norma said.

Alex looked her over. She couldn't help but feel judged by someone she loved.  
"You think I did something to her?" Norma asked. "You think I actually helped my family hurt people?"

Alex took a deep breath.

"No, Norma." he said. "I would never think you'd hurt anyone."

"I don't remember talking to this Dawn Lewis girl." Norma insisted. "I don't think I ever saw the lawyer."

"Maybe you should go lie down." Alex offered. "All this stress isn't good for the baby."

"No!" Norma shouted. "No, I need for you to believe me."  
"I told you, I do believe you!" Alex almost shouted.

Norma took a step back and so did her husband. He looked angry and frustrated that his anger was directed at her.

"I know you were the victim here, Norma." he said while trying to hold his emotions in check. "But they are wanting to take down as many people as they can for this. Caleb won't be enough."

"So what's my motive, Alex?" Norma laughed. "I've been here, I've been living a quite life with my sons in a remote town? What? All this time I'm really a closet serial killer? When have I had time for my crime spree?" she waved at the pile of laundry her boys (including Alex) had generated since last night.

She let out a frustrated sigh.  
"You know, there is so much about my childhood I don't remember." she admitted. "Things… things I saw and just blocked out. Things I didn't understand about my parents. About what they did. What they did to all of us. I don't know why I'm so shocked that I can't remember a whole week."

She felt all the air leaving her body. The rain storm beat down harder on the roof and the power flickered out.

"Norma, why don't you take a nap? I'll call Martian Willkie. He's an excellent defense lawyer." Alex suggested.  
"I told you I don't want to take a nap." she spat at him. "And we don't need a defense lawyer, Alex, because I did nothing wrong."

"Norma." Alex said coming closer to her. "I want you to rest for a while. It's been a stressful day."

"No!" she said refusing to budge when her husband tried to maneuver her to the bedroom. "I want to talk about this."

"We're done talking about this for now." Alex said sternly and tried to take her arm to lead her to their bedroom. "I don't want you upset it's bad for the baby."

"I'm already upset!" Norma huffed and tried to fling her arm away from him. He quickly grabbed her and she tired to push him. She'd forgotten how strong he was. How his body, so gentle with her, was like a rock when it needed to be.

This fact alone made Norma want to fly into a rage of violence against the man she loved.

In her blind furry, she hit him, slapped him, but she only succeeded in hurting her own hand before her husband subdued her. His strong arms and hands taking hold of hers and pulling them over her head, rendering her harmless.

"Let go." she moaned through muffled tears.  
"You need to calm down." he whispered in her ear.  
"I didn't do anything!" she cried. "Alex!"

"Norma, think of the baby. This isn't good for the baby." he whispered and he was kissing her cheek.

"He's fine." Norma gasped in frustration.

Alex pulled away from her in surprise.

"He?" he asked.

Norma let out a sigh of frustrated anxiety.  
"I think it might be a boy." she admitted guiltily. "I've had the same kind of morning sickness and swelling in my feet I had with both Dylan and Norman."

"That doesn't prove…" Alex trailed off, but he looked amazed at her sense for the unknown child's gender.

She rolled her eyes and he loosened his grip on her writs.

"I've been cranky and moody for weeks now. I've been bloated and sick and I can't eat anything. Trust me, only a boy would give me this much trouble." she said knowingly.  
"You really think it's a boy?" Alex asked.

She nodded.  
"I know so. I knew Dylan would be a boy. I knew Norman would be a boy to, although I was praying I was wrong and he'd be a girl. I just know it's a boy, Alex. I sense it." she said in disgust. "Figures it would be another boy, and now I'll have four boys to take care of and they will eat me out of house and home."

"Four?" Alex asked with a laugh.  
"Yes." Norma said bluntly. "Dylan, Norman, the new baby and you. The biggest trouble maker of them all."

"Oh." he smiled.  
"Don't be happy!" she said harshly.  
"I'm not." he grinned. "I'm… I'm actually a little sad it's not a girl. I know you wanted a girl."

He was still smiling and Norma felt her blood boil.

"You're being smug." she accused. "You wanted a boy."

"I'm not being smug."

"You're smiling."

"No, I'm not." he grinned. "I wanted a girl. I mean it."

He sounded too damn happy.

"You're the worst liar." she accused.

"I'm not the worst liar." he shook his head.  
"You argue with everything I say to."

"No, I don't."

"Alex!" she tried not to laugh.

He was smiling but it wasn't so smug this time. He seemed happy just to be looking at her.

"Maybe we can try again for a girl next year." he offered.

"Yeah right!" she snapped. "You're crazy if you think I'm letting your boy making sperm anywhere near me after Michael is here."

"Michael?" he asked.

She felt nervous but shrugged.

"It's his name." she told him. "Michael."

"You've already named him? Without asking me?" he asked. "Maybe I don't like the name Michael."

"Why not? I named him after you." she told him.

"How is Michael named after Alexander?" he laughed.

"Michael is the Arch Angel." Norma told him carefully. "God's warrior, who defeated the devil and cast him into hell. He's not a perfect angel, but he isn't afraid to battle evil. Sound familiar?"

Norma watched Alex blink and his hands reach up to caress her face. He leaned in to kiss her and she felt tears well up in her eyes. His kiss was kind and gentle as if it was the first time. Like he was afraid to take too many liberties with her, even though she was carrying his child.

"Alex, I'm scared." she whispered when he stopped kissing her and let her breathe again. She was crying now and his thumb was wiping away her tears. His face sad that she was sad. "What if I did something? What if I did something horrible?"

"If you did." he sighed. "It was to protect our son. He's epileptic and he was in danger. You acted in self preservation of you and our sick child, Norma." he said. "Our lawyer will prove that and there are statues, just like this, that the supreme court has upheld."

"Alex." she moaned softly. "I'm so scared. I'm scared to even remember."

"Tell me what you do remember." he said.  
She shook her head.  
"My parents. Caleb. I was always worried about Norman. There wasn't enough to eat. I had to clean up blood off the kitchen floor. My mother stabbed me in the hip when I begged her to take Norman to see a doctor. Then… then there were children in the basement." she sniffed.  
"What children?" Alex asked. He stared at her curiously.  
"The little kids in the basement. They live there. I was with them and they kept staring at me. Their mother… she's… I think they wanted to eat me alive."

~ Alex enjoyed making love to his wife ever since she'd told him about the baby. Her breasts were fuller and he sadistically loved to make her gasp by being too rough with them. Her breasts and nipples sensitive to any touch and he couldn't stop himself from being so aggressive sometimes.

It wasn't just her breasts that had changed, but the rest of her body to. Although Norma would complain, he liked the fullness of her now that her pregnancy was taking effect and changing her. It made everything about her more beautiful to know it was his blood, his child, growing inside her.

Alex ran a hand over her exposed belly and Norma stirred in her sleep. She hadn't felt much like being intimate with him since her horrible morning sickness last month, but that part was thankfully over.

"Michael." he whispered to her belly.  
"I haven't picked out a middle name yet." she said and Alex was surprised she was really awake. She had seemed so exhausted after they made love.

He smiled at her and thought of suggestions.  
"Tomas maybe?" he offered. "After Wilson?"

"Maybe." she yawned and rolled over. Alex, not wanting to let go of his son, spooned behind her and rested a hand over her still flat belly.  
"So…" he tried to sound indifferent. "When do you think you'll start showing?"

"I'm only eleven weeks, Alex." she told him sleepily.

"I know." he said hurriedly. He greedily wished he could see the evidence of their baby in something beside her larger breasts and the pregnancy test she'd taken a month and a half ago.

"I mean… when did you start showing with the boys?" he asked innocently.

Norma, realizing she wasn't going to get any sleep yet, rolled on her back and let her husband look down on her affectionately.

"Well, with Dylan I didn't show much at all." she admitted. "Not until I was about eight months gone. Then, with Norman, my belly popped out after four months and he just got bigger and bigger till everyone felt REALLY sorry for me and said I looked ready to pop."

She looked slightly annoyed by that part of it.

"Why?" she asked.

He shook his head and smiled.  
"Just wondering." he said.

She gave him a skeptical look. He tired to laugh it off. Tried to grin without it being mischievous.

"I'm going to call Martin Wilkie tomorrow and he's going to advise us on how to handle Chambers." he said.

"Alex, I really don't remember." she sighed.

"I don't want you to try." he insisted. "We don't want to upset Michael do we?" he nodded to her stomach.

"No." she agreed. "We have to look out for Michael."

He kissed her forehead and was rewarded with a lovely smile that only Norma Romero could give.  
"Sleep well, Mrs. Romero." he whispered.

 **One of my reviews pointed out that I have been glazing over the more romantic parts of this story. That the honeymoon should have been longer and more romantic and I should have done the wedding ceremony to.**

 **I agree 100%. But sadly, I'm not in the romantic mood lately since Dad passed away. I'm not trying to cop out, or cheat anyone out of Normero time, but it's hard to get into the love mode after losing a parent and having to deal with the aftermath.**

 **Ironically, I can identify with Norman now at the end of season 4. Even though he killed her, he still lost a parent. I can not tell you how lost it makes you feel not to have that person in your life anymore. To lose someone who guided you through hardships and gave you advice. To not have them in your life or hear their voice anymore. To tell them things about you and what you've accomplished. To wish that you could talk to them again and it's like you would know what they would say.**

 **So it's a little hard right now to deliver romance and easy to deliver angst for Normero. Maybe if "Bates Motel" gave us more Normero time, I could give my readers more Normero time to. Just now, it's hard to get into the mood.**

 **I'm sorry, guys.**


	102. Chapter 102

102.

~ Alex watched his wife sleeping for the hour before they both had to wake up and start their day. Norma had been sleeping a lot lately. She had assured him it was perfectly normal. Apart of the pregnancy that her body needed more seep.

He worried about her more and more since she told him about their soon to be son. The idea that their baby was more now than a cluster of rapidly multiplying cells became lodged in his brain and he couldn't shake it. He could actually see Michael now. See his son, his real son, playing in the same yard he played in and his father before him.

He could see teaching Michael how to drive Lucy and even see his son getting married to his own tiger one day. Lucy as their get away car, of course.

The thought about a son, his own blood, his own looks and history being created was fascinating. Just a few years ago, Alex never thought he would even get married. Now he was married with two boys and a wife expecting his child. How time distorts your once firm reality. He never thought he would be here, and that he would be happy.

Yet, at the same time, he was terrified. Not for the fact there was a baby on the way. He felt extremely calm and ready to welcome his new son to the world. He knew he and Norma could raise the child well together. No one in the world would be a better mother to an infant than Norma. She would coddle their son till he was about three or four and Alex would have to tactfully step in and make sure he wasn't too spoiled by an over protective mother. Together, they would be great parents.

No, what worried Alex was this business with the State Police and this accusation of Norma's involvement. He would have to see their lawyer as soon as possible. The very mention of the name Martin Wilkie would have even the State Police question the validity of their case.

Norma stirred awake beside him, her pretty eyes opening and she smiled.

"Good morning, Sheriff." she said happily.

"Good Morning, Mrs. Romero." he said with equal joy.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked.

"Not long. Couldn't sleep."

"Do you want me to make you something?"

"No, I'll get something at the office."

"Okay." she smiled lazily and rolled over on her back.  
"No more morning sickness?" he asked.

"Don't jinx me, Sheriff." she warned.

"Norma." he said. His voice having a worried edge that made her look to him seriously.

He couldn't find the courage to say the words now that he needed to.

"What is it?" she asked.  
"I think… I think I changed my mind. I need to know everything that happened in that house. Even if it upsets you." he said. Her face fell and she looked confused.

"I promise, I'll believe you." he added.

"To be honest, a lot of it makes no sense." she told him.

"Just start from the beginning." he prompted. "After Caleb took you from the house."

"We drove around till we were out of town. He parked the car in the woods. Norman had a seizure and I was begging him to take us to the hospital. I didn't have my shoes on, so it was hard to walk through all that. It took us a long time to get to the house." she explained. "I just remember being really scared when I saw that big dark house. Then Caleb made me walk up the concrete steps and…"

"And what?"

"I saw my parents." she confessed. "They were waiting for me."

"Then what?"

She seemed to be searching her memory.  
"I think I was in the living room. I know I had Norman on my lap and I kept telling him it was just a game. I remember my father's heavy footsteps on the floor above us. It was really scary hearing him stomp around like that. Hear him coming towards us." she admitted sadly.

"Who was in the living room with you?" Alex asked.  
"Caleb." she admitted. "They had candles lit in the living room and I could see Caleb on the sofa. My mother was in the kitchen and she was cooking. It smelled awful. She always made us eat cabbage and beans all the time. That's what that smell was."

She made a disgusted face.  
"Who else was in the living room besides you, Norman and Caleb?" he asked.

"No one. My father came in, and said… something about the lawyer. That he went down. Caleb said he was in the basement. That he had to bury him out back. Then they made me clean up the blood in the kitchen. There was a lot of it." she said as an afterthought.

"When did you see the lawyer?" Alex asked.  
"I never saw him." she said simply. "I cleaned up the blood. Caleb took Norman away from me. I was afraid to not clean up the blood."

"What happened next?" Alex asked.

"I had Norman, we went to sleep in this room that looked like a nursery. I woke up in the middle of the night and decided to see if I could find the attic. I thought there might be a window that wasn't boarded up. I was right, the top window was hard to open, and there was a steep drop." her voice was trembling. "But Caleb caught me." she admitted. "That was the last time I saw Norman until that girl was dead."

"What did they do?" Alex asked. His training as a cop kicking in. He didn't like having to use these methods on his pregnant wife, but he needed to know.  
"I was put in the basement. They practically threw me down the stairs."

"Who was in the basement with you?" Alex asked. He hoped she would say Dawn Lewis was. That maybe her memory was jogged enough to exonerate herself.  
"I thought I was alone for a long time." she admitted sadly. "But then the children were there."

Alex tried not to flinch, but he couldn't help the feeling of cold fear prickling his spine.

"The children?" he asked.

"Yes. I think… I don't know how long they lived there, but they were so fast. I couldn't catch them." she explained.  
"Norma," he started to say.

"Their hands kept coming out of the dirt." she said urgently. "They kept trying to grab me."

"Norma, you understand that there were no children found in that house when you were rescued." he said.  
"Caleb or my parents, they must have done something to them." Norma insisted.

"No, baby." he said sadly. "Norma, there is no evidence that any children were in that basement when you and Daw Lewis were there. It was all in your head."

"Alex, I felt their arms on me. They were trying to pull me down with them. Their eyes… Alex, their eyes were glowing." she insisted.  
"I know it must have felt very real." Alex said calmly and she looked angry.  
"It was real." she said.  
"I want you to try and remember Dawn Lewis. Try and remember that first night when forensics thinks that the lawyer was killed. Try and remember." he said.

She was shaking her head.  
"Norma, I know it's hard." he said. "But we need to remember."

"I kept telling Norman that you would come. That you would save us." she whispered sadly. Tears filling up her eyes. "I just remember… being scared all the time."

~ "You're wife is a perfect candidate for Non Compos Mentis." Martin Wilkie said happily as his sank his ample frame into his office chair.

Alex pulled a face of disgust at seeing the sleazy, but highly successful defense attorney.

"She's not insane." Alex told the lawyer.  
"Not now she isn't." Wilkie said with a lazy smirk. "But the medical exam performed after her rescue, which you granted me access to, showed severe dehydration, very low blood sugar, sleep depravation and a host of physical injuries she endured during her captivity."

"How does that add up to the insanity plea?" Alex asked.

"First of all, it's not a plea, Sheriff." Wilkie said harshly. "A plea is what we do when we are out of options and we are far from that. This is reasonable doubt. We throw enough reasonable doubt their way, the DA won't touch your wife."

The lawyer looked indifferent to Sheriff Romero's concerns.  
"See, dehydration, for example, can cause extreme hallucinations. To the point someone might actually believe they saw dead children trying to grab them. Low blood sugar causes memory loss, like the memory loss Mrs. Romero seems to be suffering from. Sleep depravation causes extreme paranoia and fear. Her physical injuries added to that paranoia and fear. Her son was in danger, she had been stabbed in the hip, she had been starved and kept in a basement for days on end without water. There are literally scores of victims of this kind of trauma that remember next to nothing about their captivity. Some victims will even forget years. Never recovering those memories and frankly, it's for the best." he said.

"What about the note?" Alex asked.

Wilkie shrugged.

"Maybe it proves Mrs. Romero was held in the same area as Dawn Lewis." he agreed. "It hardly proves she assisted in killing the girl."

"The blood and hair on the lawyers hands?" Alex asked.

Wilkie laughed.

"Sheriff, have you bothered to read over that crime scene?" he asked. "Your wife's blood and hairs are all over the house. Her blood is on the kitchen floor when she was stabbed. Her blood is in the basement. Her blood is even on the stairs. All it does is place Norma Romero in that house. It can't prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, she killed anyone or even helped to bury the body. Besides, the lawyer was beaten to death with a shovel. I doubt that small woman could have done that. The smart money is that Caleb Calhoun did the deed, dragged his lawyer through the house, where the body ran over some of Norma's blood and hairs from one of her many assaults."

Alex leaned back in his chair.

Martian Wilkie made it sound so easy. In two minutes he'd ripped apart the entire case against Norma.

"To be honest, it's kinda spooky that this horrible business went on in the same house Mrs. Summers killed her kids in." Wilkie shuttered.  
"You defended Joyce Summers." Alex reminded the lawyer.  
"I did." Wilkie admitted. "Poor woman was clearly insane."

"She was a murderer." Romero reminded him. "Brian Summers? Remember him? He was a school friend of mine."  
"Odd to think that much time as passed, isn't it?" Wilkie shrugged. "Still, it was an awful business. I remember taking candy to Joyce Summers in prison while we awaited trial. She was always asking how the kids were. Said she wanted to see them. I couldn't make her understand they were dead. I know you don't want to believe it, Sheriff, but Joyce Summers was a good mother and she loved her children."

"Did she… did she ever say why she did it?" Alex asked. He couldn't help but remember Brian. How they played in that house as children. Happier times.  
"Why does anyone destroy the thing they love most?" Wilkie asked. "She planned to kill herself to. I know that for a fact. But she didn't have the courage to follow through. She wanted to leave this world with her children when she found out what her husband was up to."

"Up to?" Alex asked.

Wilkie looked somber.  
"I've said too much." he said. "Even though everyone's dead, long dead. I can't say."

Wilkie hoisted his massive body out of his chair.  
"Leave her to me, Sheriff. Mrs. Romero will be fine. I'll have that Detective Chambers shouted out of the DA's office if she tries to charge an innocent victim of Caleb Calhoun's murder spree with accessory. Remember, she was temporarily insane by the trauma of her kidnapping and captivity. The need to keep her and her son alive made her compliant to her captor's will. No judge will issue an arrest warrant." Wilkie promised.  
"They better not." Alex said darkly before handing the lawyer a thick envelope. "Or I'll be getting my ten thousand dollars back."


	103. Chapter 103

103.

~ Norma was cautiously optimistic about life these days. She had always lived in a world that was so fragile and which could spin apart at any moment. Her childhood was horrific and their homes always temporary and without stability.

Her marriages were a chaotic mess of trying to keep things together when they wanted to break down and die.

Sadly, her new life wasn't free of the tethers of her old one. Her past kept resurfacing to hurt her. It took on many forms, Sam, her brother, her parents. As soon as one enemy was vanquished, another would rise up to take it's place.

These past six months as Mrs. Romero, however, it was like a spell had been broken. Or maybe… maybe a spell had been cast. She did feel like they were all safely cocooned in a magical bubble at times. That since the wedding at City Hall, the outside world couldn't touch them. That even Detective Chambers questions were not as powerful as they would have been if she wasn't Sheriff Alex Romero's wife.

He had a way of keeping things together for her so she wasn't always struggling to do so. She didn't have to pretend to be happy with him. She could be brutally honest without fear of arousing any anger. In fact, she was sure he liked her to be a little saucy at times. The same way a nature lover might enjoy seeing a vicious predator capture it's slow moving prey.

Finding out she was expecting his baby had been terrifying for her at first. They had barely been married when she realized she was in a condition. If she was honest with herself, she could pinpoint the exact day she and Alex conceived their little Michael. Their little surprise that they were already in love with.

~ As usual, they had been bickering in an attempt to aggravate each other. It was something that both of them did remarkably well, yet shook off in a matter of seconds.

"I'm glad you're happy with the bathroom, Mrs. Romero." Alex said. "We're not remolding it for another thirty years."

"I'm very pleased, Sheriff." she said dryly. She was cutting up vegetables for a stew. "I think your next wife will love it to."

"My next wife, I'm sure will love it. I'm always eager to meet a future ex-wife." he retorted.

"Remember, I get half of everything in the divorce." she reminded him.

Alex took a sip of water and pretended to think about it.  
"You and your new husband can live on the other side of the house." he offered.  
"That won't be awkward?" she laughed. "What if I don't like your new wife?"

"Then I'll get rid of her." he said seriously. "What if I hate your new husband."

"He means nothing to me. You say the word, Sheriff, and he's gone." she waved the knife in a cutting motion over her own throat.

"Good to know." Alex grinned and she caught him glancing down at her body. She knew immediately what was on his mind. Her husband, it turned out, was an every night sort of man. If not a few times during the day as well.  
"Well, maybe we'll just re-marry each other." he mused. "Ditch those losers."

"We'll have to marry rich though." she reminded him. "I'll marry some millionaire and you…"

"Playboy playmate?" he asked hopefully.

"No, dear. That would make you happy and I can't have you being too happy." she said easily. "I'll come up with a list of old ladies who have a lot of money you can marry."

"So, we'll just bump them off for their fortunes and then run off to some tropical island somewhere." he finished.

"Sounds like a plan." she grinned and leaned over to kiss him. His lips felt perfect as always when they kissed. Both of them trying not to laugh too much at their own silliness.

"You know I would never want to be married to anyone else but you. You know that right?" he said seriously.

"I know that." she told him. "I mean, I know I'm not the great lost love of your life or anything, but I think we're pretty happy together."

"The great lost love of my life?" he asked in confusion.

Norma started chopping vegetables again and pretended she didn't care.

"Juliet. I know you loved her. That you lost her and I know that she was the one who got away." she said.

"Do you really think that?" Alex asked. His eyes wide in shock.  
"I'm not upset about." she assured him. "I was in love once to. The first love is always real. That young love is always so perfect and beautiful. It's hard to compete with a memory like that."

She put on her fake smile but could feel it falter.  
"I mean. She's married with kids. If she wasn't-"

"I'd still choose you." he interrupted.

Norma looked unconvinced.  
"Alright, Sheriff." she laughed.  
"I would." he said angrily. "Norma… honestly, do you think any other woman would put up with me?"

Norma stopped chopping vegetables for a second and had to think. Alex had his good side. The side that was a perfect father figure to her sons, a passionate lover and fearsome friend and defender to her. But even she was willing to admit he wasn't an angel all the time. There was a wall there that he'd kept up for a long time. One that she'd seen him present to people he didn't trust or didn't like. A cold, angry wall that no one but her could break down.

"Maybe." she said carefully.

Alex gave her a cynical look.  
"Alright." she admitted with a grin.

"Yeah, there's a reason I was planning to never get married. I'm not the easiest guy to get close to." he snapped.  
"That's true." she agreed.

"But with you, it was easy." he said. "With you…" he shook his head and looked her over again.  
"So, if Juliet, your long lost love, was here. She wasn't married and didn't have kids. You would really pick me?" Norma asked skeptically.  
"Yes." Alex nodded. "I don't want the girl I knew in high school, Norma. I'm not the same kid I was back then. I don't want to be."

She wasn't sure she believed him.  
"You the first time I ever felt… smitten by you?" he asked.  
"When I insulted the noble art of fishing?" she replied quickly.

"Before that." he said. "It was after I arrested Sam that first night. You were sitting in the car, and you weren't even afraid. I'd just arrested your husband, for all you knew I was coming to harass and arrest you next. You stared right back at me, looked me in the eye, and you weren't upset or scared."

"That's what you think. It was still really sexy to see you take him out like that." she said slyly.

"Control yourself, Mrs. Romero." he said playfully.

"Oh, Sheriff. I love when you take charge like that!" she teased in a breathy voice before stopping her preparations for dinner and wrapping her arms around his neck.

She was kissing him, the two of them exchanging mild insults, that she was soon breathing hard. Her lover's hands, devilish things they were, had wandered down her lower back and were cupping her bottom.  
"Alex, the boys…" he managed to get out. Her skin felt those delightful waves of heat rushing over her and all she wanted was to be naked before him. Have him admire her body in all it's raw, beautiful glory.  
"Outside." he said. "Let me lock the doors."

"It might start raining." she whimpered. Her legs turning to rubber while her husband lifted up her skirt.  
"They'll be fine. Their father has to service their mother for a little while." he panted.

Before she could stop him, or even turn off the stove on a pot she'd set to boil, her lover had swooped her off her feet and carried her to their bedroom.

The two of them wasting no time with clothing. Their need for satisfaction too great, too ready to think twice about. Norma had never felt this way before. Never felt this sexual energy pass within her. Maybe it was because she and Alex connected on a mental level, they could connect so easily on a physical level. Maybe all the teasing, all the jokes and playfulness was really all the foreplay they needed. She climaxed so easily for him. He barely had to give her anything and her body shivered in delight. The way his hips moved, rocking within her, she could easily become addicted to his love making.

It was a good thing they had gotten married, because she doubted she could live without it now.

Their copulation hadn't taken too long, yet the water that was left to boil on the stove was almost gone when they emerged form the bedroom. Guilty looks on both their faces. Thankful the boys weren't home yet.

~ It had been a little over a month later Norma had missed her cycle and started to worry. She'd taken a pregnancy test, didn't believe it at first, and taken another.

She wasn't at all sure if Alex would be happy or upset about the news, but when she had meekly confessed to him her fears about her condition, he'd kissed her on the forehead and it was like casting a new spell.

A spell that kept their bubble in tact. He'd gone with her to the doctor's office to confirm the pregnancy and, to his credit, he seemed scared, but excited about the prospect of a baby.

For Norma, the idea of her third child with her third husband was a little terrifying. She felt it could all end horribly at any second. After all, that was the story of her life thus far.

But their magic bubble kept them all safe. Nothing could hurt them.

Nothing.

She was musing on the idea of their bubble while making the bed. Her morning sickness was mercifully over and she was felling less bloated. Her appetite was coming back now that she could keep things down.

She was starting to feel happy about the idea of Michael, when it was time for him to join their family. How Alex would love Michael. Her husband would love this baby fiercely because it would belong to him. As much as he loved Dylan and Norman, his own child would change Alex forever.

They would have to tell the boys about the new baby soon. She new she'd start showing anytime now. She worried that her boys would be jealous of the new baby. That Dylan might not be the favorite in Alex's life anymore and Norman wouldn't be the baby in his mother's eyes. Things were changing and it was scary.

Norma finished making the bed just as her husband emerged from the hallway. He was dressed in uniform for the days work. His smile kind as always when he saw her. A smile he gave to no one else outside of their bubble.  
"Good morning, Mrs. Romero." he said.  
She smiled herself and smoothed out the covers of their bed.  
"Good morning, Sheriff." she said.

 **Trying hard to put in more Normero romance.**


	104. Chapter 104

104.

~ ' _I can't believe I'm having to sneak around on my wife like this._ ' Alex thought. He sat down at the lunch counter of his favorite greasy spoon and waved to the grumpy waitress. ' _God,_ _please don't let Norma ever find out, she would kill me_.'

"The usual, Sheriff?" the waitress asked bringing him his normal drink of sugary soda without asking.  
"Yes." Alex said already feeling guilty. He hoped no one would see him here. If word ever got back to his new wife, his **pregnant** wife, that he was here. He didn't even want to think about what she would do.

The waitress shrugged and wrote down his order. Alex waited, his nerves on edge as he kept an eye out for people he might recognize. Everyone in town knew he was married by now. Such gossip travels at the speed of light here. Especially juicy gossip. The hopeless bachelor, Alex Romero, suddenly marrying the lovely widow, Norma Bates? Added to that their history of pubic scrutiny. Him shooting and killing Sam Bates was just the beginning. After that, it was a snowball effect.

So why was he here, in this disgusting restaurant that should have been shut down by the health department years ago? But he couldn't help himself. He couldn't stay away.

"Sheriff." the waitress arrived with his order and Alex felt his pulse race at seeing the beautiful bacon, double meat cheese burger with golden french fries.

"Hello, Beautiful." he sighed when the waitress left and he as alone with his horrible excuse for a lunch.

He ate greedily, till he actually felt a little sick. It was odd to feel so guilty over going to a burger joint for lunch and tossing away the carefully prepared lettuce wraps his wife had made him.

 _'_ _I'm cheating on my wife with a burger.'_ he thought to himself sadly.

Still, if this was as unfaithful as Alex Romero could get, and he knew it was, he was sure his marriage was safe from infidelity.

~ Alex arrived back in his office feeling heavy and uncomfortable from such a large, fatty lunch. He wished he hadn't eaten that burger now. Wish he hadn't wolfed down those fries. All those calories metabolizing in his system now were surely clogging his arteries.

He couldn't have a heart attack and die right now, he had a baby on the way. Norma was very specific that he wasn't allowed to die until Michael was out of college.

He was regretting eating that stupid burger and could feel himself sweating out all that fat and red meat. Norma would know he had been unfaithful. She had X-Ray vision and could see even the most minor of infractions a mile away. He even knew what she would say.

"Alex you went to that burger joint? I thought we agreed you'd be eating healthy. You know you're not a kid anymore. You can't just eat anything you want. You have all of us here who still need you, you know. I can't have you gaining five hundred pounds and having a stroke. You know you're not allowed to die until Michael is out of college."

Alex went to Wilson's desk drawer reserves of medications to cool off the heartburn he was having.

 _'_ _I'm too young for this._ ' he thought as he found the prized bottle of seltzer tablets.

His intercom buzzed and Clarice's voice called out worriedly.

"Sheriff, Miss Hamilton from the bank is here."

Alex sat up straiter. Rebecca. He hadn't thought much about Rebecca since that awful business with Bob Paris and Norma's insurance money. Sure he'd seen her at the bank, it was the only one in town. She always made a point of trying to catch his attention, but he never paid her much attention. He was still too angry at her now.  
"Sheriff?" Clarice's voice called out again.

"I'm here." he said into the com. "Show her in."

Alex stood up and opened his office door just as Rebecca waltzed in. He decided it was best for everyone involved if he kept his office door open for her impromptu visit.

Rebecca looked as lovely and sophisticated as ever. Her haircut was stylish and she was wearing it down like she knew he liked. Her clothing was expensive and tasteful, but when she took off her coat, Alex saw her dress was held up with thin spaghetti straps. If he hadn't been so full from his horrible lunch, he might have been attracted to her. Just now, he wanted to throw up.

"What can I help you with, Miss Hamilton?" Alex asked not bothering to give her a second look.  
"Well, Sheriff." Rebecca said with a smirk. "I just came to drop off the checks you ordered last month. You and your wife are on the same account?"

"You didn't have to drop them off, Miss Hamilton. You could have mailed them. You know, like how every other bank does things." Alex reminded her curtly.  
"Where's the personal touch in that, Sheriff?" Rebecca reminded him.

She was smiling at him, her eyes appraising him and Alex felt uncomfortable. He wished his tiger was here. What would Norma do to Rebecca? It would be like a tiger attacking a saucy house cat. Not a fair fight, but he would still like to see it.

"I can't believe you got married." Rebecca said at last. Her voice sounding sad and deflated. Alex felt a pang of guilt over her obvious suffering. Whatever Rebecca had become, she was at first, a victim of Bob Paris. She had been roped into his world and used like any other pawn.

He saw her face as if for the first time. Saw that she was younger than even Norma was, but had already got though hell here in White Pine Bay. When he saw her like this, her face sad and pitiful, he remembered why he'd found her so attractive when they first met. Maybe he **did** love being a white knight.

"You said you were never getting married." Rebecca sighed. She laughed at herself. "I should have known that when a guy says that to you… he means he's never going to marry you."

Alex felt that hopeless, unexplainable guilt bubble up inside him.

"Rebecca." he said at last. "It had nothing to do with you. I didn't do it to hurt you."

"Well, I don't see it, but that Norma Bates must have something really special." Rebecca said scathingly. Alex pictured a tiger swatting that saucy house cat with ease.

"Romero." he corrected.

"What?"

"Her name." he said easily. "It's Norma Romero."

Rebecca smile her crafty smile that he knew better than to trust.  
"Well, congratulations, Sheriff." she said at last.

"Miss. Hamilton." he said before she had a chance to leave the office. Rebecca stopped and turned and Alex wished he had said nothing.

"Your boss. Bob Paris? He's been missing for over six months now. Sometime soon I'll need to examine his accounts. There may be a clue to where he's gone." he said. "Maybe to another country or something."

Rebecca didn't look fooled.  
"You're not going to make me get a warrant are you?" he asked, adding to the cover story of an investigation into Bob Paris' disappearance.  
"No, Sheriff." she smiled. That crafty smile was back and he was once more reminded of a smug house cat. "But I'm not sure how much those ledgers can tell you. Or how much you really want to know. Some of them go as far back as the late 70's. Back when your dad was Sheriff. Besides, I think we both know Bob Paris isn't in Paris or Tokyo, Alex."

She leaned in closer to him and he could smell her perfume wafting close to him.  
"We can stop playing games whenever you want." she said soothingly. She looked him over and Alex became extremely interested in the cars in the parking lot outside his window.

"I just want you to know I'm here for you, Alex. Whatever you need. Anytime you need it." she said with a touch of vulnerability and kindness in her voice.  
"That's good to know to know." Alex admitted. He leaned closer to her and whispered. "I don't need it."

Rebecca pulled away and looked insulted.  
"And by the way," he added, feeling triumphant just now. "My wife really does have something special. Class."

Rebecca had the decency to look insulted and she turned away from him. With her well toned legs on stiletto heels, she turned and walked out of his office without another word.

Alex was quick to shut the door, ordered Clarice not to bother him, and called Norma at home.

"What's wrong?" his wife asked in her always sympathetic voice.

"Baby, you're gonna be mad at me." he confessed.  
"What is it?" she groaned sounding like she was getting used to his shenanigans now.

"I ate a burger at that place you think is gross and now I feel sick." he complained. He felt like he was ready to vomit and he was sweating.

"Alex!" she scolded.

"What should I do? I took some of Tom's old digestion tablets in his desk." he said pitifully.  
"How old are those things? Never mind, I'm bring you some pepto." she sighed.  
"Thanks, Mrs. Romero." he said gratefully.

"You are the most high maintenance man in the world." she reminded him.

"I love you to, honey." he said quickly and hoped he wouldn't throw up.

 **See? The Rebecca thing wasn't so bad. For now...**


	105. Chapter 105

105.

~ "I'm sick." Alex breathed and tried not to vomit again in the trash can at his office.

"I know." Norma said humorlessly. "I was there."

"Why did I eat that burger?" he moaned. "I think I have food poisoning."

"I need to take you home, Alex." Norma told him gently.

"No, I have a ton of paperwork." he said weakly.

"Alex-"

She didn't get the chance to finish before he was throwing up in the trash can again.

"I'm going to tell Clarice I'm taking you home." Norma said.  
"No. Norma… I-"

"Yes. You're sick, you need to rest and you need fluids." she told him. Her voice stern and unflinching.

She left him alone in his office to rat him out to Clarice. Alex could hear Norma speaking in the same tone she used when she was worried about one of the boys. Another wave of nausea hit him, but he managed to not throw up.

Norma came back and helped him to stand up.  
"I'm sorry." he said again when she had to tie closed the liner of the trash can so the smell wouldn't encroach on the office.  
"It's okay, honey." Norma said quickly taking his coat and wrapping it over his shoulders.

"I'm sweating." he told her, feeling cranky.

"I know, but it's cold out." she told him soothingly. "Come on."

She made him leave the office and he was thankful that Clarice was the only one there. He'd never called in sick before and hated having anyone see him like this.  
"Feel better, Sheriff." Clarice called out.  
Alex didn't answer, he was afraid he might be sick again.  
"Thank you, Clarice." Norma said gratefully and escorted him outside.

"Why can't I just take that medicine you brought me?" Alex complained once the fresh air hit him and he felt a little better.

"It's better if we let it just run it's course. Get all the bad stuff out of you." she said wisely. "Trust, me, Alex, I've done this a lot. We just need to get you home, and start drinking some fluids. I've got some gatorade at the house."

"I hate gatorade." Alex said pitifully. He climbed into the passenger seat of the old girl and pulled a face.  
"Well, that's too bad." Norma said frankly.

"I'm not going to drink it." he told her.

"Fine, you'll just dehydrate then." she snapped.

"Fine."

"Fine."

~ Alex let Norma drive him home and kept the windows down so he wouldn't get sick from the state air in the car.

"I feel better, I can go back to work." he said pitifully.

"Nope." she said. Norma was a mother of two, soon to be three, boys and she wasn't fooled by her biggest problem child.  
"Norma." he groaned.

"We're almost home." she assured him.

~ He was glad to see the farm house. Glad to see the couch which he promptly collapsed on when the room was spinning too much.

"I'm sick." he cried again when Norma started to take off his leather jacket.  
"I know." she sighed.

"I was throwing up." he reminded her.  
"I saw."

"I ate that hamburger and it made me sick." he said childishly. He felt hot and sweaty and disgusting just now. Was he running a fever?

"Let's get you changed into something more comfortable, and I'll bring you a blanket." she promised.

"I'm not cold, I'm hot." he said petulantly.

"You'll be cold soon." she sighed.

She helped him strip off his uniform and brought him his sleep pants, blankets and a sheet for the couch.

"Do you think you'll be able to keep some broth down?" she asked. "Maybe some soda crackers?"

"No." Alex groaned.

"Okay. I'll get you some gatorade."

"No, I won't drink it." he said fitfully.

"You're going to drink it, Alex!" she snapped.

Alex was about to argue but he saw that her eyes had the spark to them that meant she was ready to claw his face off if he kept arguing with her. It was a battle he couldn't win, so The Big Daddy of White Pine Bay remained silent. Norma got him one of the sports drinks she normally saved for Dylan and Norman, and gave it to him.

She stood over him till he drank all of it and gave her back the empty bottle.  
"Thank you." she said tartly before turning on the TV and handing him the remote.

~ Alex was sick once more before the boys came home and felt like he was getting better. He had made a mess of the bathroom rug and apologized to his wife for his poor timing and aim. He had never felt so close to death before. Not even when he'd been shot.

"It's not that bad." Norma scolded as she helped him back on the couch and wiped his face off with a damp wash cloth. "We just have to get it out of your system."

"It's bad. I'm dying." he groaned.  
"We're all dying, Alex." she told him indifferently.

"You know, I was expecting someone like you to be a little more nurturing to her sick husband." he said bitterly.

"Alex, it's not like you have cancer. You ate a bad hamburger and you're paying the price. Don't be a baby." she laughed.

"What are you going to do to our baby when he gets sick?" Alex asked with a somewhat spiteful tone.  
Norma laughed.

"I'll tell him the same thing I'm telling you. The same thing I tell Dylan and Norman when they get sick. You men are the biggest babies when you're sick. The tougher the man the bigger the cry baby, and you're a pretty tough man, Alex." she smiled.

Alex didn't care much for that answer.

"Don't worry, I'll baby our little Michael for as long as he needs me to." she said soothingly and covered him back up. The room felt too cold all of the sudden.  
"But you won't baby me." Alex pointed out.  
"You're not a baby!" she laughed. "I'm going to get you some more gatorade, okay?"

~ He was watching a boring infomercial when Norma brought the boys home. Both of them were surprised to see their normally vertical step father camped out on the couch looking cranky.  
"Boys, your dad is sick so I want you to play quietly in your rooms so he can rest." Norma said.  
"What's wrong with him?" Dylan asked and Norman looked terrified to see Alex so sweaty and pale.

He was laying just a few feet from the boys but they acted like he couldn't hear or see them.

"He's going to be fine, he just had some bad food and it made him sick." Norma told them confidently. "He needs to rest so you'll both have to be quiet."

"Throwing up?" Norman asked loudly and covered his mouth with his shirt in disgust.

"Is he throwing up?" Dylan asked.  
"Yes." Alex said darkly. "I've been throwing up."

"Mom, did he get sick from you?" Dylan asked. "Did he catch your sickness?"

"No, honey. Alex has food poisoning. Why would you think I was sick?" Norma asked.

"You were throwing up all last week. In the mornings I could hear you. You always smelled like throw up." Dylan said.

Alex turned to Norma in surprise. They hadn't said a word to the boys yet about the pregnancy. It was still early and they wanted to wait a little while till they could show them the sonogram picture.  
"Well, that's true, Dylan." Norma said with a shaky breath. "Boys, why don't you both sit down a second and Alex and I can talk to you about something."

Dylan and Norman happily settled on the recliner next to the couch together. Norma sat at Alex's feet on the couch and Alex didn't move. He could feel another wave of nausea creeping over him.  
"See, your dad and I got married." Norma explained. "And sometimes married people have babies. That's what's happening, your dad and I are going to have a baby in a few months. That's why I was sick in the mornings, that's why I've been needing to sleep so much."

Alex looked to the boys and saw Dylan's face light up, but Norman's face looked dark and angry.

"Do you understand?" Norma asked.

"We're going to have another little brother or sister?" Dylan asked happily. Alex grinned when he saw the gap in his smile where his baby teeth had fallen out.

"That's right!" Norma said eagerly. "A new baby brother or sister. Norman? You're going to be a big brother now. Isn't that exciting?"

"No." Norman said hatefully.  
"Norman." his mother scolded.

"I'm the baby." Norman said angrily.  
"No, you're a big boy now." Norma told him. "You're not a baby. You're like Dylan."

"No!" Norman cried. "No, baby. I'm the baby!"

Her youngest started to sob and Alex tried to sit up but felt like he might vomit again.  
"Norman." she said soothingly. She stood up an went to her youngest who grabbed ahold of her as if he was drowning.  
"Stop being a momma's boy!" Dylan said to his younger brother.

"It's okay, honey." Norma was saying. She was smoothing out Norman's hair and Alex wondered why she babied her youngest son, who was far too old for that kind of attention, so much.

~ After the boys were in bed, Alex watched a horrible made for TV movie and watched Norma finish her night chores.  
"I don't think I can sleep this far away from you." he complained.

"Well, you're gonna." she told him. "I need my sleep tonight and I won't get it if you're up all night running to the bathroom."

Alex felt sulky and his wife came to his bedside with a fresh bottle of a sugary drink.  
"It'll give you something to look forward to when you're feeling better." she said.  
He smiled and took the drink from her. He was grateful for her looking after him and took ahold of her hand.  
"Thank you." he said. "For playing nurse to me today."

"That's the deal right?" she said teasingly. "We're going to take care of each other. Remember? That was the bargain."

"That was the bargain, Mrs. Romero." he agreed.

She stood up, tucked him in and kissed his sweaty forehead.  
"Good night, Sheriff." she called out before going to their room alone for the night.


	106. Chapter 106

106.

~ Norma called into the Sheriff's station the next morning to tell Clarice that her husband still wasn't feeling well. She asked if there was any paperwork she needed to pick up for Alex to do at home, the receptionist said Washington had taken care of everything.  
"That's what the first deputy is for, Mrs. Romero. So the Sheriff isn't overburdened. Sheriff Romero tries to do it all, no wonder he's headed towards burn out." Clarice said. Her voice low as if she were telling Norma a secret she wasn't supposed to share with anyone.  
"I'll make sure he's in the office tomorrow." Norma said and glanced at her husband sleeping on the couch.

~ As was her way, Norma did it all by herself. She made sure the boys were up and dressed and out the door. All without waking Alex. She took them to school, went to work and after that ran errands and went to the store before picking the boys back up again.

"Norman, what do you think about the new baby?" she asked her youngest from her position in the driver's seat. She'd allowed Norman to ride shotgun beside her while Dylan rode in back.

It seemed Dylan had gotten into trouble in school today. Her oldest pulling a girl's hair again when she wouldn't sit next to him at lunch. Dylan seemed destined to have issues with the fairer sex.

"We don't need it." Norman said bluntly. Her son looking back at her pitifully.  
"We don't need it?" Norma repeated.  
Norman nodded.  
"Well, honey, we're going to have a new baby. I think you'll really love him or her when the time comes. You'll be a big brother. You and Dylan can teach him things." Norma promised.  
"Is the baby a boy or girl?" Dylan asked.

"We don't know yet." Norma said. She almost assured her son that Michael would be a boy, but didn't want to promise anything till after the sonogram confirmed the gender.

"If it's a boy, will Alex still take us fishing? Will he still teach us to drive?" Dylan asked.  
"Of course he will!" Norma said in shock. "Dylan! Why wouldn't Alex take you fishing once the baby is born?"

Her oldest shrugged.  
"It's just that…" he sighed. "I was thinking that this baby will be his real son. That he might like it more than us. We're not his real kids. We're his step sons. What if he doesn't like us as much as his real kid?"

"Dylan." Norma sighed and looked to her youngest. "Are you both worried that Alex will like the new baby more than you?"

Norman only scowled at her but Dylan nodded.

"Well, that's not true. Alex thinks of you two as his real sons. That's why we both wanted you two to call him dad. We want you to think of him as your real dad. The new baby will have the same dad as you." she said plainly.  
"But he won't though." Dylan corrected her. "My real dad is in California and he won't even return your calls. Norman's dad is dead. The new baby will have a different dad from us."

Norma felt a pain in her heart at the mention of John Massett. It was true her first husband wouldn't call her back after she married Alex. Or even when she had moved the family to White Pine Bay. He didn't even return Sybil's calls after Norma had been kidnapped and Dylan had to stay at a foster home.

"Dylan, I don't care what biology says." Norma said sharply. "Alex is your dad."

"We don't have the same name as him." Dylan reminded her. "Me and Norman, we both have different names from each other. Different from you and Alex and the baby."

Norma tried to think of something to say, but her youngest had her on that one. The new baby would have a different last name than his brothers. She didn't know why this bothered her so much.

"You don't get dessert tonight." she snapped in helpless anger. "And I'm going to make Oreo brownies."

"Why?" Dylan cried and Norma actually looked happy his brother was miserable.  
"Because you pulled another little girl's hair today." she told him. "We've talked about this, Dylan."

"She was mean to me." Dylan said. "She told me we were going to be best friends and she sits with another boy at lunch."

"Well, that's no excuse." Norma said.

She glanced at Norman who was smiling now.  
"I don't have to worry about you hurting girls, do I?" she said.

~ Alex was watching a horrible talk show when Norma arrived home with the boys and groceries.  
"You're looking better." she observed and started unloading all the food items she would need for dinner.  
"Yeah, I feel a lot better." he said happily. "I was watching this show, they did the paternity test on two guys and neither one of them were the father!" he said in morbid glee.  
"Wow!" Norma said sarcastically. "You're going back to work tomorrow."

"I know." Alex said in a sulky voice.

She looked out the window at the boys playing. Dylan tossing Norman the baseball and her youngest trying to catch it with the mitt like Alex insisted he learn how to do.

"Alex?" she asked.  
"Yeah?"

"You'll need to have another talk with Dylan." she sighed and stated to heat up a pan to sear chicken in.

"What happened?"

"He pulled another little girl's hair again because she wouldn't sit with him at lunch." Norma explained. "Seems if he does it again it will be a three day suspension. They aren't playing around at this school."  
"I'll talk to him tonight." Alex said standing up. He was still in his sleep clothes and it seemed he hand't bothered to shave or shower today either.

"We can't have Dylan being mean to little girls, Alex." Norma insisted. She suddenly found his scruffy, grunge look to be very attractive. She normally hated that kind of unkempt style. Still, on Alex, it was very appealing.

"I know. Don't worry." Alex assured her and placed a hand on the small of her back. "How's Michael?" he whispered in her ear.  
"He's fine, but that another thing we need to talk about." Norma said and stepped away from him. It was the stupid pregnancy hormones that were causing her to feel more excitable than normal around him. She'd been this way with Dylan and Norman. But usually it happened later in her pregnancy.

"What's wrong?" he asked. His face darkening.  
"Well, Dylan pointed out that the new baby won't have the same last name as him and Norman. That he and Norman don't have the same last name, and that… well, only you and me and the new baby will have the last name Romero. I think they both feel left out. Like you won't like them or love them the same way once Michael gets here." she said uncomfortably.  
"That's ridiculous." Alex shrugged.  
"It's not that ridiculous." Norma argued. "This will be your real child. Your first natural child that will have your family name, and history. I know you think of the boys as your own, but that's only because you've never had your own child."

"Michael's arrival isn't going to change how I feel about the boys." Alex insisted.

"You don't know that." she said.

She looked out the window again at the boys playing.

"I'm just so worried about Norman." she admitted. "He didn't take the news very well. He's always been a little sensitive."

"He's going to love being a big brother." Alex told her. She felt his hand on the small of her back again and her body sparked to life.

They watched the boys playing outside for a while.  
"Norman and I have always been so close." she sighed. "I mean, what if he get's jealous?"

"I think it's normal." Alex told her. "Let's not worry about it until we actually have something to worry about."

She turned around to face her scruffy husband.  
"You'll talk to Dylan tonight?" she asked.  
"I will talk to him right now and he's grounded for hair pulling. Don't worry Norma, I'm on it." he said. His hands were resting on her waist and he was giving her that playful smile that said he wanted to kiss her.

"You're going to go take a shower to." she told him. It was hard to resist her scruffy Sheriff just now, but she managed it.  
"Ouch, Mrs, Romero." he whispered.

"I call it like I see it, Sheriff." she grinned. "But talk to Dylan first, okay? And maybe talk to Norman to. Let them both know you're going to take them fishing even after Michael gets here."

"Why wouldn't I take them fishing? Does Dylan really think I won't take him fishing?" Alex asked in horror.

"Yes!" Norma hissed. "He's really worried, Alex."

"I'll talk to him now." he assured her and stole a kiss before she could stop him.

~ "Boys!" Alex called and waved to Dylan and Norman to come onto the front porch. The two of them hesitated for a moment. Dylan no doubt certain he was about to get into trouble and Norman as anti social as ever.  
"Now." Alex ordered and Dylan slowly marched onto the porch followed by Norman, who only did what his brother did first.  
"Dylan." Alex said sternly. "Your mother tells me there was another hair pulling incident."

His oldest said nothing and looked at his shoes.  
"Was there another hair pulling incident?" Alex asked. He used the same tone of voice he used when interrogating a suspect.  
"Yes, sir." Dylan said.  
"I don't care what your reasons were, you know that's not allowed." Alex said. "You remember why it's not allowed? What I told you?"

"Because you don't want me to grow up and hurt girls." Dylan said sadly.  
"Exactly." Alex said harshly. "There is nothing worse than a man who hurts women. I have to answer calls everyday of husbands abusing their wives or boyfriends hurting their girlfriends. I don't want you to be that kind of man. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir." Dylan said sadly.  
"I want you to be a good man. I want you to make me proud and you won't make me proud if you hurt girls." Alex told him.

Dylan looked heartbroken.

"So you're going to be grounded for a month and you're going to help me a lot more around here as punishment." he said. "I don't ever want to have this talk again. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." Dylan said hopefully.  
"Good, now we need to talk about something else." Alex knelt down to be on eye level with the boys. "Just because your mother and I are going to have a baby together, doesn't mean I will stop caring about the both of you. I've thought of both of you as my own sons for a long time now. You both make me very proud and I think we're a good family."

Dylan and Norma exchanged looks.  
"Are you worried that the new baby will have my last name? That he'll have a different last name than the both of you?" Alex asked.

"The new baby is going to be your real kid." Dylan said.  
"No, baby." Norman said hatefully.

Alex turned in surprise to Norman.  
"There is going to be a baby, Norman." he told him. "You're going to teach him or her to do a lot of cool stuff."

"No." Norman said fitfully.

"Norman wants to be the baby." Dylan told Alex. "He doesn't want mom to love the new baby more than him."

Alex wasn't sure how to handle this.  
"Boys, I was an only child." he admitted. "But I know that your mom isn't capable of favoring one child over another. Now the new baby will get a lot more attention when it's here. That's only because babies **need** a lot of attention. But you boys are going to help us a lot. We're going to depend on the both of you to be responsible."

Norman didn't seem sold on this and Dylan looked skeptical.

"Dylan?" Alex asked.

His oldest looked at him and back at his shoes again.  
"Look, this is my first child. I don't know what to expect. I'm going to need your help. I know I'm not your real dad. But you and I have always had a good relationship. That won't change when the baby is here. We're still buddies and we still look out for each other." Alex said.

Dylan looked relived.

"Come here." Alex said and pulled his oldest to him. Dylan was grateful to be hugged.

"No more pulling girl's hair." he reminded his son. "I mean it."

"I won't." Dylan nodded.

"I want to be proud of you, not disappointed."

Dylan nodded eagerly.

"Norman?" Alex said and turned to his youngest. "You know your mother will still love you after the baby is here, right?"

"No Baby!" Norman shouted and his face turned red with an anger Romero had never seen before.

Even Dylan was taken aback by the sudden outburst from such a meek child as Norman Bates.

"Norman." Alex said calmly.

"No!" Norman shouted and stepped away from him. "I said no baby!"

Alex and Dylan watched as Norman fled into the house. His rage like a thunderstorm that threatened to destroy them all.

 **I just ordered the book "Psycho" by Robert Bloch from Amazon. It's actually a series and from the sample, it looks a lot scarier than the movie. Can't wait!**


	107. Chapter 107

107.

~ "Norman will be fine." Alex assured his wife for the hundredth time. "He just needs a little time to get used to the idea he's not the baby of the family anymore. I'm sure this is perfectly normal."

Norma climbed into bed next to him. She felt heavy and bloated and uncomfortable, but was glad to get off her feet. She was barely four months along now but the swelling in her ankles and feet were painful. She didn't want to tell Alex this was more swelling than she'd had with Dylan and Norman. She didn't want to worry him. Never mind the fact she was starving all the time lately. Both her previous pregnancies had been a breeze compared to this one. With Dylan, she hardly gained any weight till a few months before she delivered. With Norman, everything had been textbook and right on schedule. With this new baby she was eating more, feeling more exhausted and the swelling wasn't going away as easy. She even thought she might already be showing. Her stomach felt harder and more distended than normal. When she changed to take a shower she noticed her abdomen was larger.

"Our appointment with the doctor is at three." Norma sighed. She'd stopped worrying about Dylan and Norman just now. Maybe it was just because it had been few years in-between babies, but this pregnancy felt different. Her whole body felt alien to her.

"I'll be there." Alex assured her. "Will they be able to tell the gender?"

"I already told you the gender." Norma snapped. "Only a boy would give me this much trouble."

"Girls can give you trouble to, Mrs. Romero." Alex said playfully. His fingers found hers and she felt the comfort of his calloused hands.

"Sorry, Sheriff." she sighed. "I wish we were having a nice little girl."

"We could name her after my mother." Alex prompted hopefully.  
"We're having a boy, Alex and his name is Michael." Norma said matter of factly.  
"Wanna make a bet?" he asked.  
"Oh you want to bet on the gender?" she laughed. "Okay. If I win, and it's a boy, you have to do the dishes from now until the baby comes."

"Alright." he said easily. "If I win, and it's a girl, we have the sitter look after the boys for a few days and we take a nice relaxing weekend together before the baby comes."

"I'm a winner either way, count me in." she smiled but winced in pain when she tried to move her feet.  
"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Just my feet are really swollen. It was never this bad with Dylan and Norman." she complained. "I really need to talk to the doctor about all the over eating I've been doing to. I'm so hungry all the time. I'm going to get really fat."

"You're pregnant." Alex reminded her as if she could forget. "You're supposed to gain weight."

"I'm worried." she admitted.

"Everything will be fine." he assured her.

"It's crazy because I'm already starting to show, Alex." she told him and lifted up her night gown to show him her larger stomach. "I never showed this early this much with Dylan and Norman."

She expected her husband to be a little uncomfortable at seeing her stomach not as flat anymore. She'd always loved the fact her body was just as slender and toned as any other twenty-something young woman. Despite having two kids, she'd steered clear of weight gain by dieting alone. She knew Alex liked her slender body to.

So when his eyes widened and his breathing changed, she thought it was slight revulsion at seeing her looking so bloated and fat. His fingers traced lazily over the slight rise of her stomach and made her feel slightly ticklish. His entire palm rested on her belly as if expecting the baby to move already.

"You didn't tell me you were showing." he whispered. His breathing speeding up as he moved closer to her.

"I just noticed it when I was in the shower. Alex, I think Michael is going to be too big. I mean…" she stopped talking when he crouched in front of her and stripped off his shirt. The look on his face was one she knew well from their honeymoon and all those times he had wanted to bed her but couldn't. A look of want, and nothing more.  
"Alex?" she gasped in surprise when he leaned gently down and started to kiss her neck. His hands, those devilish hands, went to her tender breast and started to push her night gown up.

"Alex, what are you doing?" she whispered. The whole idea he wanted to have sex right now was absurd. She felt so unattractive with the swelling and bloated feeling.  
"You look beautiful." he whispered in her ear. He was careful to keep his body safely elevated off her. A ridiculous fear at this stage, but Norma found it more endearing.  
"Alex, I look like a train wreck!" Norma laughed and felt her libido perk up when his callused thumb rubbed abusively over her sore nipple.

"Who's baby is this?" Alex demanded in a harsh whisper that sent shivers of pleasure down Norma's body.

"Um…." she gasped and her head started spinning. "Sheriff… this is Sheriff Romero's baby." she whimpered.

It seemed to be the right thing to say, because it sent her husband into a frenzied of need for her. Without further questions, he stripped off her night dress and pulled down her panties. Norma forgot that she was swollen and uncomfortable. The way he looked at her just now told her she'd never been more beautiful.

~ Norma was reading an interesting article at the doctor's office the next afternoon. It was about men who found their partner more attractive pregnant and the phycology behind it. She wondered if such a case study applied to Alex. He certainly seemed to meet all the qualifications.

Despite the fact she felt so unattractive last night, her husband had been very eager to prove her wrong. It was like he was possessed. He kept wanting her to tell him this was his baby and he was going to be a father. She'd never seen him like this before. It was exciting and sexy, sure, but she never would have expected it of Sheriff Alex Romero. A man so stoic sometimes he would give himself a stroke if she let him.

John and Sam were never that aroused by her pregnant body and she looked a lot better when she was expecting Dylan and Norman than Michael. Still, Alex seemed to be attracted to every aspect of her body and she couldn't complain.

Her husband looked uncomfortable in the waiting room of her doctor's office. There were a lot of pregnant women here with large belly's and all of them were talking about hemorrhoids and childbirth and other horror stories she wasn't sure Alex needed to hear. She was sure he'd never thought he'd be here seeing the local baby doctor. Surely the other women recognized him and soon everyone in town would know they were pregnant.

"Mrs. Romero?" called the nurse.

Norma stood up and Alex stood with her. His hand falling onto the small of her back as always. The Nurse nodded at the Sheriff and looked slightly intimidated. Norma glanced back and saw Alex's face looked annoyed.

"Remember our bet, Sheriff." Norma said teasingly as the nurse lead them into an exam room.

~ Alex wasn't sure what his place was in this situation. He wanted to be there to hear the baby's heartbeat, and see the first sonogram picture, but when Doctor Bloch started to talk to Norma about discharge and other 'female issues', he wished he hadn't come. It had been uncomfortable being in the waiting room to. He knew all those women. Even gone to school with a few. Now everyone in town would know he and Norma were expecting. He should tell Sybil today before the gossip mill got to her. Although, knowing this town, Sybil already heard.

"So, we want to do the sonogram?" Doctor Bloch asked brightly. "It's a little early, Sheriff, but we can give a look see."

"Will we be able to tell the gender?" Alex asked hopefully.

"You and the wife must have a bet going." Doctor Block mused in his kindly, small town doctor way. Doctor Bloch had delivered hundreds if not thousands of babies in this town over the past forty years of practice. He wasn't just an OBGYN but a pediatrician as well. He was the final word in babies and children in White Pine Bay.

"She thinks it's a boy." Alex nodded to Norma who was laying on the exam table. Her beautiful stomach exposed and he could see the amazing rise that showed their child was a real thing now.

"Hunting for another bear, Sheriff?" Doctor Bloch asked and turned on the sonogram machine.

Alex felt embarrassed that the doctor was old enough to have been his pediatrician.

"Hunting for a healthy baby." Alex said and Norma gave him a smug look.

Alex felt like giving his lovely wife his own dirty look when Doctor Bloch started talking.  
"You know, Little Bear," he said. "I remember when your mother was expecting you."

Alex felt something shift inside him. He'd almost forgotten that of course Doctor Bloch had delivered him to. He watched as the doctor squirted some kind of gel onto Norma's stomach and placed a small paddle on over it. The doctor looked at the screen and kept talking.

"You were a big baby, Alex." Doctor Bloch went on. "Over nine pounds."

Alex looked at the screen. A jumble of shadows that made no sense.  
"Mrs. Romero, breath normally, please." Doctor Bloch said calmly.  
"Sorry." Norma said and tried to slow her breathing.

"Yes, I remember when she went into labor. Poor woman, she was hunting for a girl, and I had to tell her the bad news. That in fact, she got an Alexander, not an Alexandria. Course your father was over the moon when he found out she'd delivered a boy. A man like your father had to have a son. Now, times are different thank God. Everyone just want's a healthy baby. Doesn't matter what the sex is. So long as it's healthy." Doctor Bloch rambled on.

Alex felt slightly frustrated by the man's trip down memory lane. Norma alone seemed highly amused.

"You were a healthy baby, Alex." Doctor Bloch went on. "Born purple and you stayed that way for about a week."

Norma tried not to giggle.

"But the air hit you and you dried out." Doctor Bloch went on. This time Norma didn't suppress the giggle.

"Your mother was a natural." Doctor Bloch told them. "She'd taken care of babies when she was younger I guess. She took you to her breast and never had any trouble nursing you."

"Alright." Alex interrupted. He had enough of this kind of talk. "Is it a boy or girl?"

"It's… a boy." Doctor Bloch said confidently.

"Told you." Norma said happily and grinned in triumph. Alex felt his heat pick up as the doctor moved the sonogram machine over and he could see the faint outline of something that looked like a bean.  
"You're sure?" Romero breathed. He didn't want to become too happy.

"It's still very early, but I have a good view." Doctor Bloch said. "It's a boy… and over here…" he moved the imager over to the other side of Norma's belly. "Is the girl."

"What?" Norma asked in alarm.  
"Wait." Alex said. His mind rejecting everything. "You said it was a boy."

"It's a boy and a girl." Doctor Bloch told them.

"Twins?" Norma asked.

~ Norma still felt in shock at the news. Her whole world already topsy turvy lately was now thrown for another loop. Doctor Bloch explained her increased swelling was temporary and due to the rapid growth of the babies. That if she's hungry she needed to eat. Stay away from sugar and alcohol. He said all of this like having twins was perfectly normal. He even made Norma another appointment in two weeks and told her to sleep as much as possible. How could she relax enough to sleep knowing there would be two babies screaming and crying and in diapers in her house?

"Norma?" Alex's voice sounded like an echo. "Are you okay?"

"What?" Norma asked. Everything felt so unreal just now. Like she was in a dream.  
"You got really quite at the doctor's office. You've had this deer in the headlights look since the sonogram." he said.

Not one word of what Alex said made sense.  
"What's wrong with the headlights?" she asked.  
"We're going to get you home and get you to bed." his voice said.

"Okay. I'll drive." she said.  
"Norma, I'm already driving." Alex said. "We're in the car already."

She looked around her and saw he was right. She was sitting in the passenger seat of the old girl and Alex was driving them home. They had just turned into the dirt road that would take them to the farm.

"Oh." she said numbly.  
"It's going to be fine. Doctor Bloch said the babies are healthy." Alex said.  
"Babies." she whispered.  
"Yes." her husband said.

It felt like she was floating outside of her body. Like she was looking at herself through someone else's eyes. The poor woman sitting next to Alex Romero looked terrified.

"Norma?" a voice came to her and she felt reality pull her back.

"Yes?"

"We're home."

She looked out the window and saw he was right. They were back at the farm.  
"Oh." she said.

"Let's put you to bed so you rest." he suggested. "It was a big day today."

"Was it?"

"Come on, Mrs. Romero." he said gently and her car door opened. How did he get to her side so fast? Alex was walking her through the house when it dawned on her they all wouldn't fit.

"Alex!" she cried out and turned to face him. "This won't work!"

"What won't work?" Alex said patiently.

"The house is too small! We can't have four kids in this house. Our living room is too small and… and we only have four bedrooms." she said.  
"You and I will share a room, Norman and Dylan can share a room, Michael and… well whoever she is, will have their own room. Or the twins can share a room for a while." he said.

"Stop saying **twins!** We can't have twins! It's too much!" she cried. She suddenly started to weep in fear over what was happening. Two babies would need constant attention that she wasn't sure she had enough in her to give. One baby was trying enough, but two? Even with a husband as good as Alex, this was too much.

"We can and we are." Alex said calmly.

"I'm so scared, Alex!" she sobbed like a three year old and reached out for her husband. He answered the call and pulled her close to him like she was a child who'd skinned her knee.  
"Norma, you're going to be great. This is a little scary now but you don't scare that easy, remember?" he said. "You're my tiger."

"You don't know what two babies at once is like." she sobbed.  
"Neither do you." he said playfully. "Lets find out together."

 **So it seems four moths is WAY too early to know gender, so I fudged that fact for the sake of the story advancement.**


	108. Chapter 108

108.

~ Alex tried to tell himself to stay calm. Norma was asleep in the bedroom, the house was still and peaceful. Thanks to Norma's nesting instinct, it was also scrubbed to a shine he hadn't seen since… ever.

' _Twins._ ' he thought in a near panic. ' _Two of everything. Two cribs, two highchairs, two carseats. Just double everything a baby needs for it's first year. Maybe even triple because of the different genders._ '

Alex tried to take a calming breath and did some mental calculations. He made a decent paycheck as Sheriff now. Much better than when he was a lowly deputy. The farm had been paid for these past sixty odd years, so they didn't have to worry about a mortgage like normal people. Norma wanted to remodel the kitchen and it was overdo anyway. That would be at lest a few thousand if he could do the work himself. But it's not like he could demo the kitchen while his wife was expecting twins. He couldn't do it after they arrived either. No, it would be years before he could give Norma the dream kitchen she deserved.

They might not be able to afford it by then. He would have to save up for four kids going to college. Four kids needing a car when they turned sixteen, insurance rates for teen drivers was going to be a nightmare. Especially with teenage boys. Boys were much more inclined to get into accidents than girls.

He would have to clear out the extra bedrooms sooner than expected and paint. He and Norma would have to buy a newer car or… God forbid, a mini-van.

Alex sank back in the couch and felt raw panic start to set in. He was going to have to buy a mini-van to accommodate to two carseats for the babies, the two boys and himself and Norma. He was hardly the bachelor of White Pine Bay while driving a mini-van with a wife and four kids.

Four kids. There was something so final about that number. With three, it sounded easier, but four breeched into a frightening territory of too much and never enough. Could they afford four children? Honestly? Norma would certainly have to leave her job after the babies came and probably a few months before. She was already suffering from complications that would mean bed rest and a possible early delivery. She wouldn't be able to go back to work for a year. Then there was childcare to think of. Norman's daycare bill alone was outrageous. Imagine when the babies arrived and the bill was double?

Then there was dippers, clothes, and all the other things he wasn't even thinking of. It wasn't just a cute little baby that would carry on his own family anymore. It wasn't a romantic idea that proved he loved Norma. The babies were going to be a massive double commitment that demanded time, energy and money.

Alex felt slightly sick at the idea that all his savings could dwindle down to nothing and he could be in debt by the time he was forty-five.

"Sheriff?" came a tired voice.

Alex turned and saw his wife stepping out of the bedroom. She still looked sleepy after her nap.

"Are you hungry, Mrs. Romero?" he asked and extended a hand to her. Norma clasped it gratefully and sank onto the couch next to him.  
"Always." she sighed. "Why are you sitting here without the TV on?"

She was right of course. Normally, Alex would have the game on or some scary movie. It looked odd for him to be sitting in silence here.  
"I was just thinking." he admitted.  
"About the babies?" she asked weakly.

"Yes." he admitted.

"I was thinking about them to." she said and took her purse off the end table. She had sat it down as soon as they got home and hadn't touched it since. Now, she opened it and pulled out the folded paperwork from Doctor Bloch's office.

"You know, we never got a chance to look over the sonogram pictures." she told him and pulled free the black and white pictures of the babies.

Alex let his arm drop over Norma's shoulders and she rester her head on his chest.

"So, Michael is on the left…" she said. her hand resting on the left side of her stomach and Alex felt a light of happiness course through him at seeing her rounded belly again through her clothes. "Charlotte is on the right."

Norma looked up at him expectantly.

"Charlotte?" Alex laughed.

"Yes." Norma told him.  
"How did you come up with that?"

"She told me." Norma said simply. "Charlotte told me her name. I was asleep and I dreamed about her. Charlotte Louise Romero and Michael Thomas Romero. They both looked like very nice children. Charlotte doesn't smile as much as Michael does, but she has our sense of humor."

Alex felt tears sting his eyes.  
"Our sense of humor?" he asked and was glad his wife couldn't see him start to cry.

"Yes. She's our daughter. She dose that whole pretend to fight thing we're so damn good at." Norma said dryly. "She terribly witty and it annoys me."

"She's witty?" Alex asked. "She's smart?"

"Too smart." Norma told him. "She's just going to be one of those teenage girls who doesn't get involved with cliques at school and is all moody and judgmental. It's so aggravating, but I think it's just a phase."

"Oh." Alex said and tried hard not to smile.

"She loves being the Sheriff's daughter by the way." Norma told him. "She's defiantly a daddy's girl."  
"Really? I thought she would hate being the Sheriff's daughter. I won't let her date boys."

"She doesn't want to date." Norma complained. "She thinks the kids her age are the worst. I mean, she's not wrong, but I want her to have some social life outside of her brothers."

"She likes her brothers?" Alex asked.  
"Yes. And they love her. Dylan and Norman are very amused by her, and they play pranks on each other all the time."

"So Norman get over the whole baby hating thing?" Alex asked.  
"I don't know about that, but he loves his sister." Norma said with such certainly, Alex felt that maybe she could see the future.

"What about Michael?" he asked hopefully.

"VERY handsome." Norma told him quickly.  
"Like the old man?"

"No, I said he was very handsome, Sheriff. Pay attention."

"Oh, right. Sorry, Mrs. Romero."

He wrapped both arms around her, his hands going to her slightly distended belly. Everything he loved in life, his future, was in his arms just now.

"So, unlike Charlotte, Michael is painfully shy. But he loves his sister, even though she bosses him around. He wants to study art and you're a little mad he doesn't want to go into law enforcement." Norma told him.

"I would never be mad about that." Alex corrected her.  
"Well you don't have to be, because Dylan…" she let out a long sigh filled with anger. "Is joining the Sheriff's department and he's going to be your deputy and I'm going to be mad as hell about it for a long time."

"So, I shouldn't have made being a Sheriff look so damn sexy?" he asked playfully. "I only took the job for the women."

"And look where that got you!" she laughed.

"Can't argue with that. So, Michael will be an artist?" he asked. "Make a lot of money and support us in our old age?"

"I think he's going to be a teacher. I feel like he's very good with young people." Norma admitted.  
"Oh, well that's okay." Alex shrugged. "Will Charlotte make us money so we can retire in comfort?"

"I think so." Norma said eagerly. "She's a lot like her namesake. She's kinda ruthless."

"So lets keep on her good side." Alex advised. "What about Norman?"

"Well, that's odd." Norma sighed. "I couldn't see Norman in my dreams. Not really. I went to look for him… I opened doors to look for him. It was like he wasn't there. You don't think that means he's going to die, do you?" she asked.

"No." Alex shook his head. "They're just dreams, Norma."

"I know." she admitted.

"But I loved hearing about them."

She looked up at him and smiled.  
"I think we're going to be okay, Sheriff." she whispered.

For the first time since hearing news about the babies, Alex felt at ease.

"I think we're going to be okay to, Mrs. Romero." he whispered back and kissed her.

~The next morning, Norma woke first and was glad her feet weren't swollen. She felt better for the first time since her morning sickness and might start to enjoy her pregnancy now.

"Good Morning, Sheriff." Norma said when Alex wrapped his arms around her. His hands going, protectively to her stomach.

"Good Morning, Mrs. Romero." he said. His warm breath was on her neck. His hands demanding contact with the babies.

"How'd you sleep?" she asked.

"Good." he whispered.

"You've been a lot more… amorous since I started showing you know." she told him.

"Meaning?"

"Maybe you have a thing for pregnant women." she teased.

Her husband pretended to think this theory over.  
"I've got a thing for at least one pregnant woman." he admitted.

"We have to tell Sybil today." Norma reminded him. "If she doesn't know already."

"She knows already, trust me. I also need to tell Chuck she's going to be an Aunt and have her niece named after her."

"You like the name Charlotte Louise?" Norma asked worriedly.

"I love it." he said and let his hands fall away from her belly.

"Louise was my grandmother's name." Norma said sadly.

She didn't know why the memory of a woman she'd never met made her sad. Maybe it was absence of the thing, the never knowing, that made her sad.  
"My mother told me Louise was my grandmother's name, but who knows if that's true or not?" she said more to herself than to him.  
"We can find out, Norma. Easily." he said.  
"No." she shook her head. "The less I know about my family, the better. This is my chance for a normal life, Alex. A nice, normal family with a good man."

"Really? When's he getting here?" Alex asked playfully.

Norma bit her lip to keep from smiling.  
"You need to be nice, I'm the mother of your children." she laughed.  
"Yes, you are." he said and pulled her to him. She let her body merge into his as if they had been lovers for centuries and knew exactly how to mold into one another.

"I'm so grateful I have you." she whispered. "So glad Sam made us come here. That it was you who pulled us over that night."

"Me to. Imagine if we had met years later. When the boys were grown or something." he said.  
"No, I don't want to even think about that." she shivered and buried her head in his shoulder. "Even with all the bad things that have happened, I'm glad we still have each other."

"Me to." he agreed.

"Alex?" she asked weakly.

"Yeah?"

"Remember when we made that bet and we both lost. So you have to do the dishes and take me out before the babies arrive?"

"I don't think that's exactly right." he said.

She looked up and gave him an annoyed look. One raised eyebrow was all it took.  
"Sorry, yes of course." he said quickly.  
"Well, I know where I want to go." she told him.  
"Anywhere. Tell me." he said.  
"I want to go to the Summers' house by the old Motel. I want to go back inside that house."

 **Kinda disappointed no one noticed the Bloch reference. Robert Bloch wrote 'Psycho'.**

 **I do have some good news! Even with all the stress of losing dad, I've still maintained my epic weight loss. I've lost over 60lbs since March and I've dropped from a size 22/20 to a size 12/11! I love it! Best time I've ever had buying jeans today!**


	109. Chapter 109

109.

~ "No." Alex said firmly.

"Alex!" Norma wheedled. Her voice taking on a child like tenner that reminded him of a little girl.

"Norma, I said we're not going inside the house. That's not going to happen." he said.

His wife looked ready to pout, her eyes flashing angrily at the view of the motel and Summers house.

The two of them were parked in his SUV across the highway. They were somewhat hidden by a large wooden sign advertising the welcoming community of White Pine Bay. The hiding spot being a favorite to catch speeders over the decades. The couple still had an impressive view of the old motel as well as the house beyond it.

Alex had to admit, even in the daytime, the Queen Anne had a spooky feel to it.

"It wasn't always like this." he nodded to the house.

"What was it like?" Norma asked.

Alex didn't want to answer, Norma had a way of coxing information out of him without any effort at all.

"Before…" Alex said and his sentence trailed off. "It used to be a very nice home. The Summers' painted it yellow every year. The motel was just a quite place for people who wanted to enjoy the outdoors. Before what happened with Joyce, it was a nice home."

"You were inside it?" Norma asked.  
He nodded.

"When I was about eight." he confessed. "Brian Summers and I were friends. We used to run around a lot with Jimmy Brennen and Bob…" he let the sentence die. Memories of his boyhood friends were painful just now.

"What happened?" Norma asked.

"Norma, lets forget about this place and go see Sybil. Tell her about the babies." Alex said hopefully. It was much better to talk about the living children in his life than the dead children in that house.  
"Alex." Norma sighed. "When I was there, I saw things. Things I can't explain."

"Norma, you were dehydrated and half starved." Alex said calmly. "You were being terrorized and your child was in danger. You can't trust the things you saw."

"Alex, I saw children in that basement." Norma told him. "Then, when I was rescued, I kept hearing people talk about the Summers' murders. So, I went to the library and I read about it. How that woman killed her children. How she buried them in the basement and claimed they went missing? How your dad was the one who found them there. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Norma." Alex sighed.  
"Alex, I saw them."

"Baby, you were hallucinating." he told her.  
"No. They found bruises on my body in the shape of hand prints. **Little** hand prints, Alex. Doesn't that suggest-"

"Stop." Alex ordered darkly. His tone holding all the authority of not just her husband, but the Sheriff of White Pine Bay. "Those bruises on your body were put there by Caleb and your parents. The only child in that house when you were there was Norman. That's the reality. That's the truth."

Norma turned away from him.  
"How do you explain what I saw? How I was talking about those kids in that basement when I was rescued?" she asked.

"Easy." Alex told her calmly. "What happened there is local legend. It was big news when they pulled those bodies out of that house and Joyce Summers went on trial. Everyone is still talking about it like it happened yesterday. I'm sure you heard it from someone in town and just forgot."  
"No." Norma shook her head. "No, that's not it. I saw them, Alex. I **saw** them."

"Alright." Alex sighed. "What did they look like?"

"One was a girl-"

"How old was she?"

"I'm not sure, but her face, her eyes were-"

"What did the other children look like? How old were they? What were they wearing?" he asked in quick succession. "How many of them were they? How many boys to girls?"

"Why don't you believe me?" she asked.  
"Because you're asking me to believe you saw ghosts in that house, Norma." he said plainly.

"You don't think it's possible?" she asked.  
"No." he told her. "I've seen a lot of crime scenes. Places of extreme violence and suffering. Never once did I feel that a sprit was trapped there."

"If you don't believe, then you have nothing to worry about." Norma told him.

Alex gave her a coy smile. He wasn't going to fall for that.

"Norma, it's not the idea ghosts that I'm afraid of. I don't want you back in that house. Not now, no ever. You were kidnapped, held against your will, abused and exposed to horrible things inside that house. Going back there would only put you under stress. You're pregnant and we have to think of the babies." he said.

"Alex, there is a huge gap in my memory about what happened." Norma explained. "I don't know what is real and what isn't. That Detective Chambers thinks I might have had something to do with hurting people."

"You didn't." Alex argued. "I already told you that Wilkie is on it. It's never going to go past that questioning, Norma."

She sighed and leaned back in her seat.  
"Alex, I need to see that house. I can't go on with the next part of my life without knowing what happened there." she admitted. "I'm certain I saw children in that basement, you tell me I didn't. I don't remember where Norman was half the time. I don't remember my parents being killed but everyone tells me they're dead. Why did Caleb leave me behind and take Norman? Why did he leave the basement door unlocked where I could get out? Get a weapon? Escape? Why did he kill our parents? Alex, I have to know these things."

Romero wanted to give her everything she wanted. Wanted to give in and let her explore the house. It have been cleared as a crime scene months ago, aside from breaking and entering, there was no reason not to.  
"No." he said firmly. "The past needs to be allowed to die."

Norma opened the passenger side door and stepped out of the car.  
"Norma!" Alex shouted and tried to grab her. She was too quick for him and he was forced to exit the SUV to try and stop her from crossing the street.

A car honked it's horn at his wife as she walked purposefully across the busy highway. Alex felt this heart leap when another car honked at her and she quickly raced to the motel.

Romero looked both ways, and crossed the street after his wife. People slowing down when they saw the Sheriff in uniform in their path. He was sure the gossip mill in town would be in full swing tonight.  
"Norma!" he shouted when he reached the derelict motel. It's paint and rotting wood gave it an ominous look. It was defiantly not the kind of place he would want to spend the night. How long had it been since Keith Summers had made any improvements? No wonder the bank repossessed it. The place was too run down even for the addicts and prostitutes anymore.

He ran to catch up with his wife who was already at the stone steps leading up to the house.  
"Norma." he said and tried to stay calm. "I need you to get back in the car right now."

"No." she told him plainly. "I want to go into the house."  
"Well, you can't, it's locked." he tried to explain as she shook off his hand and started to climb the stairs.  
"Norma, it's locked up and it would be trespassing." he said going after her. There was no stopping his tiger now.

"Well, don't you have a master key or something? I mean, you're a Sheriff. Can't you go where you want?" she asked.

He stared back at her as if she'd lost her mind.  
"Norma… I'm not **magical**. I don't have a key to every house here in town. I don't have the authority to go into this house without probable cause. You need to come back to the car with me now, I'm not taking no for an answer." he said. Except his voice sounded almost pleading. All he could think about was Michael on the left and Charlotte on the right. How they might be affected by the sudden stress Norma was putting on herself?  
"Well, maybe you should call the police, Sheriff." Norma told him as they reached the front door. It had a large wooden board covering not just the door but the windows around it as well. Norma looked slightly deterred by the big lock that kept her at bay.

"See?" Alex nodded. "It's locked up."

Norma tired to pull at the board but it wouldn't budge.  
"Norma, think of the babies. Let's go home." he pleaded. He wasn't used to being held hostage like this by anyone. She had his future inside her and he'd never felt so helpless.

"Norma, please." he said again. His wife ignored him and left the front porch to go around back.  
"There has to be a way into the cellar." she mumbled.

"We're not going in the cellar." Romero told her but stopped when she stumbled on the boarded up storm cellar doors.  
He watched as she tugged on them to open. The doors refusing to budge.

"Norma." he sighed.

He watched as she knelt down and threaded her hand through the hole on the board that closed off the cellar doors.

"What are you doing?" he asked as she appeared to be concentrating.

"This." she said and he heard a snap that sounded like a latch had been released. She smiled and to his horror, Alex saw the cellar doors swing open.

~ "Norma, no." he ordered when she started to climb down the rickety steps that looked like they wouldn't support her weight.

"Alex, I just want to see." she told him and kept climbing down into the dim light of the basement.

Romero had little option but to follow her. He'd been in this house, this basement in fact as a child and reached for the lights. During the investigation, power had been restored to the house and kept on. The basement went from being dark and horrible, to completely harmless in the light.

Norma looked disappointed by the naked swinging bulbs above her. She looked over the markings of the crime scene techs. The orange markers were still there where blood was found and collected. One of the techs had written in black marker all over the cement floor where blood was found.

"I thought this floor was…" Norma looked confused. "It was dirt."

She looked up at Alex for an explanation.

He nodded to the cement that still looked brand new even after more than twenty-five years.

"It used to be a dirt floor." he told her sadly. "After they pulled the bodies out, Keith's dad had cement poured down here."

"I thought, didn't I have dirt from the basement on me?" she asked. "When they found me?"  
"You had dirt from the grounds around this house." he corrected her. "It could have come from anywhere at anytime."

Norma looked around the basement room. The foundations of the larger house still had a spooky feel to them. The ceiling was low here and the lights played tricks on you with the way the naked bulbs hung down from the rafters. When Alex brushed past one, the bulb swung back and forth creating a frighting sense of movement in a place where not even ghosts would live.

"This was a fruit cellar." he told her conversationally. "They used to can preserves and keep them down here."

Norma didn't seem interested in the history of this place. She looked over the old, decaying furnace and then up the stairs. There was still more crime scene markers detailing blood collection and fabric fibers that had been found.

Alex wasn't surprised at all to see Norma go upstairs.

~ The Summers home was almost exactly as he remembered it. The furniture hadn't changed, and even the pictures on the wall were the same. It gave him an uneasy feeling to be in this house again where time seemed to stand still.

Norma seemed unaffected by the vintage decor. She looked more annoyed than anything. The lights in the house appeared to have chased away whatever she was looking for.

"We didn't have power." she told him. "We used candles."

"We're not turning off the lights, Norma." he told her. "This has gone far enough."

She ignored him and looked over the living room.

"A piano." she breathed. "Caleb made me play. He made me sing to him."

For a horrible moment, Alex thought she might faint, but she kept her footing.

She looked over the living room floor. More crime scene markers and more tape was everywhere.  
"That girl." Norma said at last. "She was laying on the rug. My mother was holding Norma. My dad told me to help Caleb clean up."

"Did you see what happened to the girl?" Alex asked. "What happened to Dawn Lewis?"

"I didn't see!" she gasped and looked close to tears. "But Norman saw. Oh, God, Alex I think he saw everything!"

"Norma, stay calm." he told her. "We should leave."

"No. No I want to see the kitchen." she argued and moved out of his grasp. She knew where she was going and walked purposefully to the kitchen. Alex had to summon the strength to go after her as she disappeared around the corner. The beautiful stained glass window in front of him looking the same as it did when he was a child.

"Alex!" came a whisper from behind him and Romero felt ice cold rush over the back of his neck. He shivered slightly and heard the squeak of a door opening.

Slowly, very slowly, he turned to the basement. The stairs leading down were dark, but he clearly saw them. He saw the faces of children he thought he would never see again. He saw all of them with their faces pressed into the rails of the banister. Their white hands gripping the rails as if they were prison bars. He saw Brian, forever eight years old, glaring menacingly at him with glowing eyes.

Brian Summer's night clothes were filthy and his skin was dirty from his mother burying him in the ground. Alex felt the ice cold envelope him and he couldn't look away. He was sure if he looked away that the children wouldn't be there anymore.  
"Alex." Brian whispered to him again and Romero saw that his old friend wasn't blinking. That his sisters and brothers all had angry looks on their faces. All of them glaring at the law man as if he had been the one who failed to save them.

Then, the lights flickered and went out. Alex was in darkness and all he could see were the children's glowing eyes.


	110. Chapter 110

110.

~ Norma looked around the kitchen which she knew housed many of the memories from her time here. With the electric lights on, with the knowledge that Alex was nearby and she was perfectly safe, this room had no power over her. The room seemed smaller, dirtier and far less intimidating.

When she had been here with her parents and Caleb, they had to eat meals by candle light and this kitchen had a very sinister feel to it. The candle light barely kept shadows at bay at night. In the daytime, the sunlight would try to peek though the windows. But the large boards covered them and Norma hardly ever knew if it was night or day. Her entire world was one long nightmare that stretched on without end.

She tried to recapture time in this room. Tried to remember the day her mother stabbed her in the hip. Even now, she still had a poorly healed scar from the attack. It felt like her only proof because her memories were slipping away from her.

It had always been like this though. All her life her real memories seemed to have left her in favor of whatever story she'd made up in her mind. So often she had to explain why she'd left home so young. She had to lie about her parents, about her son's real father, the bruises on her body. It was only with Alex she found herself telling the truth.

It was hard to lie to him. Always had been. With Alex, he looked right through her and she'd always felt safe enough with him to tell him the truth. She'd always loved him enough to never lie.

"Alex?" she called out once she examined the dirty kitchen with it's layers of grease on the stove and it's worn linoleum floors. How she could have been scared of this kitchen was ridiculous. The only thing frighting here was the chance of food poisoning from how filthy everything was.

"Alex, I think we should turn out the lights. Maybe something will come back to me in the dark." she said to the empty space behind her.

Norma turned around and didn't see her husband.

"Alex?" she asked. Curious as to why he wasn't answering, she left the kitchen and went back into the main hall. The lights were on, same as she'd left them, but her husband wasn't there.

"Alex!" she called up the stairs. She listened, but the old house gave off no groans on creaks to indicate that someone was on the floor above walking around.

She peered towards the basement and saw the door was still ajar. He must have gone back down there again.

"Alex, I'm not ready to leave yet." she said stubbornly as she climbed back down to the basement. Her voice echoed through the empty space, no one was there to hear her.  
"Alex?" she called in a whisper. She felt a prickle of ice cold air rushing over her body. The dangling lights in the basements started to swing back and forth by some unseen force. The moving lights causing an eerie dance between shadows.

Norma felt fear, horrible and oppressive take hold and she grabbed the railing for fear of falling down the rest of the basement stairs.

"No." she moaned when, as if by an invisible touch, the lights stopped moving and were still. The dance was over, the unseen terror was gone.

"Alex!" she hissed into the dark shadows that the lights couldn't reach.  
She jumped when she heard a door slam from above her.  
"Sheriff's Department!" came a voice.

Norma peered around the room for her husband, realized he must be in another part of the house, and went back upstairs to the ground floor.

She sighed in relief at seeing Deputy Washington there by the front door.  
"Oh, it's you." she said in relief.  
"Mrs. Romero?" Washington question and holstered his side arm at seeing the Sheriff's wife coming out of the basement. "What are you doing here? Dose the Sheriff know you're here?"

"Yes, he's upstairs somewhere. I think." Norma nodded and tried to strain her ears to hear Alex walking around above them. Maybe he was in the attic? Or a part of the house she couldn't hear him in.

"Mrs. Romero, you can't be here. You're trespassing." Washington said.  
"How did you know we were even here?" Norma asked instead of being intimidated by her husband's first deputy.

"The city installed a silent alarm after what happened to you and your son. You and the Sheriff must have tripped it when you broke in. This house is apart of my usual patrol." he explained.

"Silent Alarm. Why? No one lives here. What are they afraid of, someone stealing the furniture?" Norma asked.

"Lots of kids like to break into this place to have a look around." Washington explained. "I think some of the city council members felt what happened to you and your son, wouldn't have happened if these proprieties had alarms on them. I think Mayor Heldens was the main advocate for funding."

Norma let out a sigh. George Helden had won the race for Mayor after Bob Paris left the country. Her ex fiancé had been a good mayor in his barely six months of office. He was practical and economical. Even Sybil had no complaints about how he'd advanced the town's economy in such a short time. As awkward as it was, Alex approved of the new mayor. A mayor who had no tolerance for the drug trade and was more than willing to involve the DEA.

It was odd to think Norma could have been the mayor's wife instead of the Sheriff's. But she would take being Mrs. Romero any day.

"Mrs. Romero, you can't be here. The Sheriff knows better." Washington was saying.

"I just wanted to look around." Norma explained and started up the stairs.

"No. No looking around." Washington scolded gently.

"Alex?" she called out to the empty rooms. It was odd, all the doors to the bedrooms had been taken off their hinges.  
"Washington?" Norma asked once she'd explored all the rooms and still hadn't found her husband.

"Yes, Mrs. Romero?" he asked.

"Will you please call me Norma?" she asked.  
"Afraid I can't, Mrs. Romero." he said kindly. "The only ladies I call by their Christian names are

my wife and our daughters."

Norma smiled at the old fashioned manners of Deputy Washington. She was happy that such a soft hearted gentleman had found her.  
"Deputy, you found me here that day." she remembered. "What was I doing?"

"Ma'am?" he asked.

"I don't remember much. Hardly anything at all, can you tell me… what was I doing when you found me?" she asked.  
Washington shrugged.

"You were downstairs in the kitchen. You didn't have shoes on. Your clothes were dirty and you looked… well, you'd seen better days. You were holding a knife and your parents were laid out on the kitchen floor in front of you." he explained tactfully.  
"Did I say anything?" she asked.

"Nothing that made sense." he said. "The ambulance came, and you were talking out of your head about being in hell."

Norma let out a sigh.

"I was here a week. I don't remember a whole week passing by." she admitted. "It's more like… flashes of memories."

"Sometimes that happens in a traumatic situation." he offered. "We push out all the bad memories."

"But I need to remember." she argued.  
"Maybe we shouldn't though." he said gently. "Maybe God wants you to forget so you don't lose your mind."

Norma wanted to argue, but how could she with that reasoning?

"Besides, you have a lot of good things happening just now. You got married and I heard that you and the Sheriff are already expecting." he said happily.  
"When did you hear that?" she asked.

"This afternoon. My wife's sister was in the doctor's office and saw yourself and the Sheriff there. Only one reason why the ladies take their husband to see Doctor Bloch." he said with a grin.

"Well, yes. Alex and I are expecting." she confessed.

"We need to focus on that and forget this mess. The Sheriff will need a lot of looking after if he's going to be a father." Washington said.

"You don't know the half of it." Norma groaned. "Did you know he got food poisoning? That man is the biggest baby in the world when he's sick… or shot." she added as an after thought.

She looked around the second story.

"Alex?" she called as loud as she could.

Nothing.

"Did you see him when you came in? Maybe he's outside?" she asked.

"No, Ma'am." Washington said.

"Alex!" Norma called and the two of them went back downstairs again.

"Sheriff?" Washington called out.

"Alex!"  
"It's getting dark, lets close the house up and look outside for him. We shouldn't be here." Washington suggested.

"You go look outside, I'll wait here. He's probably someplace he can't hear us." Norma told him.

~ Alex couldn't hear anything from where he was.

The darkness had ahold of him and wherever he was, it was cold. Like being under a frozen lake. The ice water penetrating his entire body.

Brian's six year old little sister, Lynn Summers, was hovering over him. Except he could hardly call this thing Brian's sister now. Whatever it was, it wasn't human.

He was on the floor and Lynn, all the sweetness and innocence of the six year old he'd known, was forever gone. She was keeping him pinned there, and unable to move. Her eyes were black and he could smell the horrid stink of rotting meat coming from her. Her skin was decaying and so pale, it practically glowed. When she opened her mouth, the scream that erupted made the walls shake.  
"It's not real." Alex whispered as Lynn growled over him like an animal.

He winced in pain when her hands, claw like, gripped ahold of his shoulders.

"You're not real." he told the little girl when her eyes started to glow malevolently.

 **Sorry about the late post and the short chapter. It's hard to do on Tuesdays because I go to Al-Anon meetings. They really do help me. Thanks for everyone's good thoughts about my weight loss and for your prayers about losing my dad. I know I don't send out thanks enough, but I think it everyday and I'm always wanting good things for all of you.**


	111. Chapter 111

111.

~ "Mrs. Romero, the Sheriff isn't here." Washington said. "He's not outside and his SUV is still across the street."  
"He has to be here!" Norma snapped.

"We need to leave. This is still trespassing." Washington told her. "I'll call the station. Maybe the Sheriff has reported in, or was called away."

"Alex wouldn't have just left me here." Norma told him. "I'm not leaving without him."

Norma sat down on the stairs and refused to budge.

"Go ahead and arrest the Sheriff's wife." she told Washington. "I'll just wait here till he gets back."

"Mrs. Romero." Washington pleaded.

"I'm not leaving." Norma said stubbornly.

~ "Alex." Brian called. "Come as see."

Romero felt himself waking up in a daze. He felt slightly drugged and when he opened his eyes, it was morning and he was outside of the Summers house. Only, it wasn't the Summers house anymore. When he looked around him, he saw that this place was different. The light was different, the trees and grass were well tended and groomed. There were flowers growing all along the stone steps towards the fine house. The Queen Anne was a lovely lady again. She was painted yellow and had white trim accenting the tall windows and porch.

Alex was laying in the warm grass and he felt the heat of summer beating down on him.

"Alex!" came a giggle and sound of children playing.

Sheriff Romero, a grown man in this odd place, sat up and saw Brian and his kid sister Lynn were watching him. They looked just as he remembered them. Their faces sunburned from playing outside too much. Lynn's face dotted with freckles and her long red hair untethered by the ribbons her mother tried to keep in place.

Brian was holding his little sister's hand and both of them looked like normal happy children.

"Come and see." Brian said. He beckoned Alex towards the house and Romero realized he was in the field on the back end of the motel. A field the Summers children often played in.

How could this be real? How could any of this be real? Brian and Lynn were dead. Long dead and buried in the same cemetery his mother was buried. Alex looked at the over grown grass and saw the other Summers children, younger than Brain and Lynn, were playing some made up game and laughing.  
"This isn't real." Alex told himself.

"Alex, come and see." Lynn said in a voice so sweet it sounded like birds singing. Alex closed his eyes and shook his head.  
"I want to wake up now." he said dully.  
"We have something you need to see. It's about mother." Brian said.

"I know all about your mother, Brian." Alex laughed a sour, humorless laugh. He looked at his old friend. Brian would be his age if he'd lived. Both he and Lynn would probably be married with families of their own if their mother hadn't decided to kill them that horrible day. "I know what she did to you. To all of you."

"Alex, come and see." Lynn pleaded. "Come and see mother."

"I don't want to see. I know what she did. She killed you." Alex said darkly. He looked back at Brian and Lynn who seemed to disprove of him.

Alex stood up in the warm grass and it was hard to believe this wasn't real. He could easily believe that Brian and the other children were alive and well here. Seeing them playing in this field, looking so happy and at peace, was comforting to him. If felt like this was heaven for these sad, unloved children.

"I'm sorry." Romero apologized. "I can't make it better. If I could fix it, I would."

"You have to stop him, Alex. You're the only one who can. Mother can't see it." Brian said. "She won't see it."

Romero turned to the little boy. Forever an eight year old who only worried about learning long division before he was murdered. Now, he and Lynn seemed to have wisdom behind them. Their eyes holding all the secrets of the universe.  
"Stop who?" Romero asked at last.

"Come and see." Brian told him earnestly and took Romero's hand.

It was dark and bitterly cold outside. Alex stood in the field where seconds ago it was warm and beautiful. He felt the chill in the air and could smell the first hint of snow wanting to fall any second.  
"What… what is this?" Alex whispered. He looked down to Brian and Lynn, but their eyes were glowing again. Their skin decayed and rotten and he could smell the musty stink of their dead bodies.

Brian and Lynn said nothing, but pointed towards the house. Their fingers were black and their nails were white. There bodies rotting, even in this strange afterlife.

"Brian?" Alex asked nervously when he saw the blue of a neon sign beside the motel.

The Summers house looked as he was used to seeing it. It was in bad need of paint and loving care. Although, it was obvious that someone had attempted a vegetable and herb garden on the side of the house. Alex saw the lights were on inside but he sensed that if he went through the doors, nothing would be there.

"Look!" came a strange whisper in the wind and Alex turned around to see Brian and Lynn were close behind him. Their eyes glowing and their lips black from rotting in their graves.

Before he could blink, they were pointing at something and Alex looked towards the motel. The sign was a neon blue but he couldn't read the letters. The light was too bright and it was like it was in a strange language.

"What… what am I supposed to see?" Alex asked nervously.

"Come and see." the children whispered.

Alex saw headlights appear on the empty road and, feeling afraid, he took a step back. He saw Norma's car, the old girl, turn sharply into to the motel parking lot and almost hit the sign. The car managed to stop in front of the steps going to the house and a tall, gangly looking you man got out.  
"It's okay, mother." he said. His voice nervous and frightened. Alex saw the young man was dressed well, but he was covered in dirt. His dark hair was sweated onto his brow and his eyes were almost manic.

"Mother." the young man said eagerly when he opened the passenger side door and a blond woman fell out. She must be drunk and passed out because she didn't flinch or attempt to brace herself for the fall. Her poor body hitting the ground hard and the young man seemed upset she had fallen.

"Ma'am?" Alex called and tried to start down the stone steps towards Norma's car. Who was this young man and why was he driving some drunk girl to the motel in his wife's car? The whole situation was off and he meant to put a stop to it.

He tired to reach the car, but Brian and Lynn blocked his path. Their menacing eyes glowing as they looked him over.  
"Just watch." Brian said.

Alex stepped back at the smell of his childhood friend and his dead little sister.

He did as they commanded and watched the thin young man pick the unconscious blond woman up. The young man's long, lanky body must have been stronger than Alex would have thought because he had no trouble lifting the woman into his arms.

"It's alright, mother." the young man said in a daze. "We're home now."

Alex, watching in horror, saw the woman had blond hair very similar to how Norma sometimes fixed hers. It was shorter than how she normally wore it, but it was still in her style. He gaped at the blue dress the blond woman had on. It was an evening dress. Something suited for a fancy party. Alex watched as the young man, his face dirty and his eyes bright with expectation climbed the steps and to the front porch.

"Norma?" Alex gasped when he saw the woman the young man was carrying at last.  
His wife, his beautiful bride, was pale and limp in this strange man's arms.

"Norma!" he shouted and tired to reach for her, but she was like smoke and he couldn't touch her.

"Put her down!" Alex shouted to the young man who kicked open the door to the Queen Anne house without dropping Norma.

"I said put her down!" Alex demanded and reached for his side arm. His gun felt too heavy to pick up and he knew, in this place, it would be useless.

"It's alright now, Mother." the young man say saying. He was slightly out of breath and he almost lost his balance bringing Norma into the house.  
"Whoever you are, you better pray I don't find you." Alex growled and followed the young man carrying his wife inside.  
"Norma!" he called again and she still remained motionless.

Now that they were inside, he could see his wife looked especially pale. Her skin had the effect of something that wasn't living at all. There wasn't the pink in the cheeks of normal signs of life in her. Alex stopped and tried to tell himself it wasn't real. Norma couldn't be dead.

"Norma?" he called out. Too afraid to enter the living room after the young man.  
"Mother." the youth said once he'd laid the Sheriff's wife out on the large sofa. "Mother, it's okay now. You're home. You're safe."

Alex wandered, half afraid of what he was seeing, into the living room. He had to be near his wife. Even if she was dead, whatever was happening, he had to stay close to her. Keep her body safe from this... **psychopath**.

"Mother." the young man pleaded. "Open your eyes."

Alex looked from his wife, still beautiful in repose, to the young man.

The man, this monster who had her body, looked angry and desperate. His eyes, a familiar shade of blue, were focused entirely on Norma's face. Willing her to wake up.  
"It's okay, baby. I'm here." Alex told his wife's body. "I'll stay with you."

"Open your eyes, **mother**!" the young man demanded.

It was a childish plea Alex had heard before. The same kind of anger and impotent fury his youngest stepson had shown when he learned about the babies.

"Norman?" Alex turned in disbelief to the young man.

Now that he saw it, he wondered how he could have ever missed it. It was Norman Bates leaning over his own mother, begging her to open her eyes.  
"Norman." Alex breathed. His mind reeling at the young man and how insane he looked jus now.

"See." Brian was saying beside Norman.

Alex looked at the ghost child.  
"You have to see it, because mother won't see it. She won't see what he becomes. You have to save them." Brian said. His dead eyes glowing in the darkening living room. "Save them before it's too late."

Alex gasped in horror at seeing his wife standing beside Brian and Lynn. Her own eyes glowing brightly in the dark. Her skin rotting and the stink of rotting flesh was everywhere.  
"Norma?" Alex cried. "No… please…"

His wife was looking towards her own dead body when her attention fell on her husband.

"You left me no choice." she said in a terrible, malicious whisper. Alex saw her mouth grow fangs, and then she attacked him.


	112. Chapter 112

112.

~ Norma explored the Queen Anne house from the basement to the attic looking for her husband and any clues at all of what had happened to him. Her ordeal in these very rooms seemed petty and small compared to finding Alex.

"I'm not arresting the Sheriff's wife." she overheard Washington say to another deputy when she went back downstairs to the living room.

"He's not answering?" Norma asked the two men who were too afraid of Sheriff Romero's wrath if they tried to force her to leave the house she'd broken into.

"No, Mrs. Romero." Washington said. "Why don't I just take you home?"

Norma shook her head and decided to go back to the kitchen again. The house was once beautiful, anyone could see that. However, years of indifferent housekeeping, neglect and carelessness had caused the once elegant lady to become a horrid monster.

"Mayor Heldens." Washington said and Norma rolled her eyes.

George was here. Her ex fiancé had made a Hail Mary run for mayor after Bob Paris left town and had won. This promised to be awkward.  
"Evening, deputies." Mayor Heldens said politely.  
"Mrs. Romero is in the kitchen." Washington said. Norma could hear everything and knew Washington had called George here because he was the only one in town who had real authority over Alex. Not that George was the type to abuse authority.

"Norma." George said with his shy, ' _please love me_ ' smile.

"Hi. Um… Hi George." Norma said awkwardly. She let her ex look her over and saw he approved of her appearance. Even if she was dressed more for comfort these days than style.  
"I understand congratulations are in order." George said conversationally.  
"Word gets around fast. Who told you?" Norma asked. She made sure to keep at least three feet between herself and her ex.

"I heard it from about four people." George admitted. "But my congratulations are sincere."

"Thank you." Norma nodded.

George looked around the filthy kitchen and Norma felt the tension between them building.  
"I guess you're wondering what I'm doing here." Norma said at last.  
"Yeah." George laughed uncomfortably.

"I was hoping that if I looked around the house, I might get my memories back." she explained.

George looked sad. Sadder than Alex looked sometimes.

"Oh." he said. "Yes. That was horrible… what happened. What happened to you and your son."

"I don't remember a lot and I made Alex take me here. I broke in, George." she said quickly. She didn't want to get her husband in trouble. "He tried to stop me… but…"

"No, I understand why you would want to look around." George said. "Um… if you had called my office, Norma, I would have given you the keys and driven you here myself."

"You have the keys?" she asked.

"I'm the owner of this house. I bought it, and the motel… after… um, well after everything." he said.

"Why?" Norma asked.

"Because, I was very upset about what happened to you. I thought if I bought it, I could tear it down and no one would remember." he explained.

He looked around the filthy kitchen with it's tall ceilings.

"Turns out it's hard to have a house torn down after it's been a crime scene twice over." he admitted. "Lot's of red tape. This detective Chambers had some person grudge about this place. Keeps blocking my efforts."

"She thinks I was… that I was involved in hurting people here." Norma admitted.  
"That's ridiculous." George laughed. "I mean, has she **met** you?"

Norma tired not to smile.  
"According to my husband, I'm very formidable." she informed George playfully.

"The Norma Bates I know wouldn't hurt a fly." he said sweetly.

"Romero."

"What?"

"It's Norma **Romero**." she told him.

"Oh. Yes. Of course." he apologized. "Well, I understand Sheriff Romero isn't here."

"He was here with me." Norma told him honestly.

"Mrs. Romero you can look at the house as long as you want." George said. "I won't make you leave."  
"Thank you, George." she said.

"Next time you want to visit this horrible place just give me the heads up." he said helpfully.

"I… I will. I'm sorry, George." she said feeling embarrassed.

"Congratulations again. Um… on the pregnancy." he nodded towards her.  
"I meant to congratulate you on winning the race for mayor." she said. "Alex and I think you make a good one."

"Well, I try." he said awkwardly. "I'm not as flashy as Bob Paris."

"I never liked Bob Paris."

"It would seem you never liked me either." George said pitifully.

Norma felt wounded by the remark and watched her ex turn to leave her, then turn back. The gentleman in him feeling guilty for making her feel bad.

"I'm sorry." he said. "Norma, if you need anything at all, you know I'm here. Even if you just need to talk. I know we broke up amicably, but I'd like it if we could still be friends."

"I'd like that to." she admitted.

He gave her a faint smile and left her alone in the kitchen.

"Mrs. Romero can stay as long as she feels she needs to, deputy." he said.

"Yes, sir." the two deputies nodded.

~ Alex found himself in that strange world of shadows and memories with no guide back home. He tried calling out for Norma. His wife having vanished after she attacked him in the living room. That horrible thing she had become bit his shoulder hard enough to draw blood.

Romero winced in pain and scratched at the bite mark that had penetrated the leather of his jacket. The creature had evaporated like smoke after her attack and he was once more in a dark and cold place. The smell of rancid meat was everywhere. The stink of rotting flesh and the feel of being trapped under icy water permitted him to the core.

"Norma!" he called helplessly.

He had to get home. What Brian and Lynn had showed him couldn't be real. It was too horrific. His wife laying dead on the sofa, their son so grief stricken he was talking to her body and demanding she open her eyes. What had happened to Norman to make him not understand his mother was dead? How had he gotten ahold of her body?

The only thing Alex could think of was that Norman was so saddened, that he refused to accept his mother had died.

Yet, where was Dylan in this horrible scene? Where was Alex? More importantly, where were the twins? Charlotte and Michael would have been born and older children by the time their brother was this age. Norman looked like he was a grown man already. Or in his late teens at least.

"Norma! Where are you?" he shouted out in the empty house. His voice echoed back to him as if mocking him.

"Alex." came a whisper and he felt dread bubble up inside of him. Brian and the other children were watching him from the basement steps again.  
"Alex. Come and see." Lynn hissed. Their eyes glowing brightly and they looked ready to drag him to hell.  
"No. I won't see. It's not real. How could it be?" Alex asked.  
Brian and Lynn looked at him curiously.

"Mother." the children whispered over and over again.

"Mother."

"Mother."

"Mother."

"Stop!" Alex shouted when the whispering became too much.  
"Alex!" came a shout from somewhere upstairs.

Alex was breathing hard and the coldness around him seemed to have evaporated.

"Alex!" Norma's voice rang out and he heard footsteps above running and the basement door creaking open.  
Alex turned around and saw his wife, his beautiful, living, maddening wife rush downstairs. Her face looking worried, but glad to see him.

"Alex! Where the hell were you? It's been six hours!" she gasped. She threw her arms around his neck and he felt relief flood him at the smell of her perfume and the feel of her warm body on his.  
"My God, Alex you're hands are like ice!" she cried wrapping his palms into hers and feeling his cheek. "Alex, your skin is so cold. What happened?"

"I…" Alex stammered. "Six hours?" he questioned in disbelief.  
"Yes, I went into the kitchen and when I came out, you were gone." she told him. Where did you go? We looked everywhere!"

Alex looked up at the basement stairs and saw deputy Washington coming down. His own face worried and afraid to be in this horrible house.

"You alright, Sheriff?" Washington asked.  
"Yes." Alex said and cleared his throat. "We're leaving soon."

"Mayor came and said you can both stay as long as you need to." Deputy Washington told them.

Alex turned to his wife. He took a second to appreciate the pink in her cheeks and the fact she was breathing.  
"George was here?" he asked. She nodded and looked away from him. An unnamable fear started growing inside him at the idea George and Norma had talked alone.  
"Thank you, Washington. You can go." Alex said crisply.

Washington nodded and went back upstairs. Norma and Alex stayed silent until they heard the front door close and they knew they were alone in the house.  
"Alex, what happened?" Norma asked gently.  
"Brian." he said. "I… I saw Brian and his sister Lynn."

Norma's face remained calm, but she was clearly upset.

"Oh." she said at last. "Where?"

"Here." he said weakly. He felt his hands were shaking. "Here in the house. I don't understand how it could have only been six hours, Norma. It felt like… I don't know, twenty minutes."

"Did it feel like you were underwater?" she asked. "Like you were under-"

"Under a frozen lake. Yes." he finished for her.

Their eyes met and Norma looked ready to cry.  
"I'm sorry I didn't believe you." he said. "I… they showed me something terrible."

"What?"

"They, showed me… you were dead. Norman was a grown man and he was carrying your body. You were both here in this house. I don't know how you died or even when. Dylan and I weren't there and I don't know why Norman brought you here." Alex said.

His wife took a step back away from him.  
"We need to take special care of Norman." Alex said. "I think… we need to… make sure he's okay."

His wife looked out of breath and had to lean on the wall for support.

"I know it doesn't make much sense." he admitted. "It felt so real. As real as you standing there."

"I believe you." Norma said softly.


	113. Chapter 113

113.

~ Norma felt her husband stir restlessly beside her and tried to stay in the blissful world of sleep a few more moments.

The bed shook slightly with Alex turning again and she let out a sigh.

"Alex, maybe you should get a glass of milk or something." she suggested sleepily.

"No. That won't help." he said.

"What does help you get to sleep?"

"Well, I used to drink some scotch or whisky until I had a decent buzz." he admitted. "Always put me right out no matter how hard the day was."

"Well, that's off the table." she sighed and felt her husband moving again. He had readjusted his body in an attempt to get comfortable enough to sleep.  
"I know. No more drinking." he sighed.

"You have to stay healthy."

"Can't die till the twins are out of college."

"That's right." she said playfully. "After that, you can go crazy and gain one hundred pounds for all I care."

"I'm looking forward to it."  
She felt him move again and decided he wasn't going to go to sleep anytime soon.

"Alex, what is it?" she sighed and rolled over. In the darkness of their bedroom, she saw her husband was wide-awake. His jawline tense like he was grinding his teeth again.  
"I just…" he started to say. "I can't get that out of my mind."

"The children?" she asked.  
"No, I… the whole thing is crazy. We would be locked up if we told people we were seeing ghost children in the old Summers house." he said bitterly.

"You still saw them." she whispered.  
"I don't know what I saw, Norma." he said.

"Alex, you were gone for over six hours." she said. "Explain that."

"I can't believe there is some paranormal nexus point in the Summers' basement that allows us to commune with the dead and see things that could never happen." he snapped.

Norma rolled over and turned on the light.  
"If you don't want to believe, that's fine." she said gently. "Do you at least want to talk about it? I mean, you saw me dead."

"I don't know what I saw." he said stubbornly.

"Yes, you do." she told him. "Or else you wouldn't have so much trouble sleeping."

He turned to her as if truly annoyed. Then his scowl softened and he was looking over her greedily.  
"Well, you know what always helps me sleep?" he asked innocently.

"Sheriff." Norma said disapprovingly. "Don't change the subject."

Her husband moved closer to her and started to kiss her neck.

"Sheriff!" she squealed slightly from his attention. "It's two in the morning! You have work in a few hours!"

"Don't remind me, Mrs. Romero." he said playfully. He pulled her closer to him. His lips taking over hers before he rolled on his back. His arms puling her on top him till her legs straddled his waist.

Norma didn't hesitate when she felt his excitement growing. Her granny style night dress easily pulled off her body to expose her naked skin and bare breasts to her husband.

She loved the expression on his face when he saw her like this. Her fuller breasts, her slightly rounded belly, made him look so hopelessly in love with her.

His hands went immediately to the slight swell of her abdomen. Their hips moving together in a relaxing, pleasant rhythm that would build into a frenzy.

"God, I love you." Alex gasped and his hands went savagely to her tender breasts. Norma cried out from the fierce contact and he rolled on top of her to take his privilege.

~ Alex was feeling better the next day. Maybe the whole experience in the Summers house had just been a bad dream. Already the details of it were a little fuzzy. He must have seen something like it in an old horror movie. Children with glowing eyes and knowledge about things they shouldn't sounded very ' _Village_ _of the Damned_ '. Maybe he'd dreamed it and, being in that creepy old house where Brian had died made him think of it.

Still, he rubbed his shoulder where something had bitten him, or clawed him. He had odd bruising on his shoulders. Like something had held him down. Bite marks, from some kind of animal were on his arms to.

No. The whole thing was crazy. He'd been worried about Norma, overly so, since her kidnapping and her going back into that house only amplified that fear. The fact she was carrying the babies, Michael on the left and Charlotte on the right, made him even more concerned for her. So naturally, he was terrified of losing her.

All the horror movies he watched, ghost children and murders alike, had made him imagine he saw Brian and even Lynn. That they had showed him his wife dead and their son driven insane by grief. So much so that he kept her body. It was a shocking and macabre delusion and that was why it couldn't be real.

"Sheriff?" Clarice buzzed and interrupted Alex's thought.

"What?" Romero growled over the intercom.  
"Rebeca Hamilton is here to see you." Clarice said uncomfortably.

"I'm out of the office."  
"Sheriff, she's right here and she can hear you."

"I know."

"Sheriff, Miss Hamilton claims she knows where Bob Paris is." Clarice said.

Alex leaned away from the intercom as if it were deadly. He had to make himself count to ten before responding.  
"Send her in." he said.

~ Rebecca looked stunning in a tight black dress. She made an effort to be modest with a wine colored cardigan. The short sweater covering any hint on her outfit being to risky for work.

"How have you been, Alex?" Rebecca purred once she sat down in the chair oppose the Sheriff. Her ankles neatly folded together in an effort to be lady like. It looked like a lot of work to do something that Norma did with ease.

"I understand you have information about Bob Paris." Alex said indifferently.

"I do." she smiled.

"He isn't under arrest. He's a missing person." Romero said professionally.  
"You're being so boring, Alex." Rebecca sighed. "Family life has sucked all the fun out of you."

"Where is Bob Paris, Mis Hamilton?" Alex asked darkly. He wasn't in the mood for this.  
"I assume he's wherever you left him, Sheriff." she said tartly.  
"Excuse me?" Alex said easily. He kept his face unfeeling and cold.

"Well, he seemed to think you were out to get him, Alex." Rebecca said. "He told me many times about how he had information that could be harmful to you. Information you wouldn't want to get out. He told me that he even planned to hire someone to hurt that Bates woman if he had to."

"Romero." Alex said casually.

Rebecca gave him a confused look.  
"My wife." Alex explained. "She took my last name. It's Norma **Romero** , not that Bates woman."

Rebecca seemed annoyed by the correction.

"So isn't it a bit of a coincidence that you married her just a month after Bob Paris disappeared?" Rebecca said.  
"Or a few weeks after she and her son survived a brutal kidnapping, and I realized I couldn't live without her." Alex said. "Depends on how you look at it."

"Alex, we both know you killed Bob Paris. I don't blame you if you did. He was a scum bag. But that's not why I'm here."

"Miss. Hamilton, I could have you arrested for accusing a Sheriff of murder without evidence." Alex said dryly.

"You lost your chance to be kinky with me." she snapped. "I'm here on more serious matters."

He produced a small key from her purse and showed it to him.  
"Bob had a large safety deposit box at the bank. Cash money, ledgers and information that would put all the families in prison forever. The DEA would love to have access to it." she said.

"I'll put in a call and have them drill the box open." Alex said lazily.  
"Not so fast, sexy." Rebecca teased. "No, you're not getting it."

"What's to get?" Alex asked.

Rebecca grinned.  
"Those ledgers? They will implicate your dad in a new crime. Your mom to." she told him.

"What?"

"When your dad was Sheriff, he started the drug ring. He put everything in your mom's name so he could collect his share without implicating himself. If the DEA investigated, he intended for your mom to take the fall. Her name is still on everything, Alex." Rebecca said.

Alex felt a cold dread threading his heart.

"You and Norma **Romero** are about to have a baby, right?" she asked. "You really want that kid growing up with everyone knowing grandpa started the drug trade? Or… would you rather set up a comfortable nest egg to the tune of 1.5 million? It would be your share of the cash if you get me in that safety deposit box. You have the power to issue a warrant and have it drilled open. There is three million in there, Alex. All cash. You keep half and you can destroy that ledger book. No one will ever know. I'll leave town. We'll both be rich."

Alex could hardly understand what she was saying. He could only hear a loud ringing in his ears.

~ "Alex, you're a very good baseball coach. I never knew Norman could swing a bat like that." Norma said proudly as she cleaned the cut on her husband's forehead. "I only wish I had it on video."

She expected her husband to laugh, but he remained stoic and uncaring. The whole thing had been hysterical. Alex had come home wanting to help the boys with batting practice. Dylan's pitch had improved as did Norman's with his help. Alex had gone to state twice while in high school and was a capable teacher in the sport.

For no reason at all, their step father had decided it was time for the youngest to learn to swing a bat that day.

Alex had carefully shown Norman how to swing, while his older brother gave a gentle toss of the ball. Norman was delighted he could hit the ball with Alex guiding him from behind. The problem was when Alex let Norman swing unassisted. The child trying to hit the baseball so fiercely the bat flew out of his hands and hit Alex on the forehead.

"What did we agree on?" Norma asked when she was done cleaning the blood off his forehead. "About you dying on me?"

"Not to." he said.

Norma looked at him worriedly. Her husband seemed in another world just now.

"Alex, what's wrong?" she asked. "Did something happen?

"No." he said. "Just a rough day at work."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"How am I supposed to take care of you if you won't tell me what's wrong?" she asked.

"I'm letting you clean my forehead."

"Like you have a choice." she laughed.

"It's nothing I want you to worry about. No undo stress, remember? It's bad for the babies."

"The babies are fine. Don't use them as an excuse to not talk to me." she said.

She waited for him to say something, but he remained a brick wall.

"I thought we were going to take care of each other. I thought that was the bargain." she said and dabbed his forehead with rubbing alcohol.

Alex winced at the sting.  
"It's okay, honey." she said soothingly. "Worst part is over."

He let out a sigh. Norma was finally babying him. He found he didn't like it.

"It's noting serious." he admitted at last.

"If that were true you wouldn't be so closed off right now." she told him.

"I'm not closed off. There are somethings about my job I'm not going to share with you. It's the hazards of being married to a Sheriff."

"Alright, tough guy. Whatever." she said dryly. "Next time make sure our four year old holds onto the bat. I'd hate it if Norman hurt you."

 **I decided to move away from the ghost children for now. Not that they're not awesome.**


	114. Chapter 114

114.

~ Norma found Sybil in an unexpectedly well appointed office at city hall. The older woman shrugged when she caught her guest admiring the spacious office.

"It was Dad's office when he was mayor. I sort of inherited it and no one in this city government has the balls to kick me out." she explained.

Norma tried not to feel too intimidated by the office with the fireplace and stained glass windows.  
"You have the mayor's office?" she asked taking a seat across the large oak desk.

"Why not?" Sybil asked. "I've been a faithful servant to the people of White Pine Bay for more than fifty years. Longer than any mayor, city planner, department head or director."

"I thought you were just a social worker." Norma said.  
"I'm head of all social welfare programs in this county." Sybil explained patiently. "I'm basically in charge of all the social workers, probation officers and other odds and ends no one likes to think about."

"I didn't know you did all of that." Norma admitted.  
"Before I created this job and appointed myself as director, there were no women's shelters, adult education, access to low cost housing or anything that would help families. Back then, if a man beat his wife, it was no one's business. If a kid acted up, he was sent off to one of those horrible JD centers where he'd be beaten nearly to death. Every mayor for the past fifty years has tried to cut my department and they've all failed miserably. I'm bullet proof. Are you hear to tell me about the little cub on the way?" Sybil asked.

Norma felt her jaw drop in surprise.  
"We meant to tell you sooner." she admitted. "Word travels fast."

"I heard it from five different people that you and Little Bear were at Doctor Bloch's office. Only one reason a man goes to Doctor Bloch's office." she said sadly.  
"I'm sorry we didn't tell you right away. We wanted to, things just came up and…" Norma tried to explain.

"Please tell me it's a girl." Sybil waved a hand in surrender. She looked especially amusing sitting behind her large, ornate desk that was fit for a king. Her tiny body practically enveloped whole by her audacious desk chair.

Norma felt a smile teasing her lips.  
"Well, you're the first to know, even before the boys." she said. "Alex and I are having a little girl."

"Thank God." Sybil said in relief.  
"And a little boy." Norma finished.

The older woman looked dumb founded and stared at Norma as if she had said something too impossible to believe.

"We're having twins." Norma admitted shyly.  
"What?" Sybil asked. "Are you sure?"

Norma nodded and fished into her purse for the sonogram picture.

"Boy and a girl." she said handing the print out to Sybil. "There on the left… that's Michael. On the right… that's Charlotte."

"I'm glad you didn't name her after me. Do you have any idea what a nightmare my life was after that movie came out about the crazy girl? Sybil asked.  
Norma smiled.

"I thought about it." she admitted. "But Charlotte told me her name, just like Michael did."

"I see." Sybil said knowingly. "How did Little Bear respond to this news?"

"Better than I did." Norma said quickly. "I was in a state of shock for a while."

"I don't blame you for that. Twins are no laughing matter." Sybil nodded.

The older woman sensed something wasn't right when she looked at Norma's face.

"What is it?" she asked.

Norma tried to smile, but couldn't.  
"This is my third marriage, Sybil." she whispered. "My third marriage and my children all have different fathers. What does that say about me? About our chances for making this work?"

"I would say that, based on other blended families like yours, the odds are not good that you and Little Bear's marriage will work." Sybil told her frankly. "The more you divorce, the more you are likely to divorce again. This idea that half of all marriage end in divorce is a myth. Your odds of divorce are much higher if your on a second or third union."

Norma looked like the wind had been knocked out of her.

"But, I'm willing to bet the odds are in your favor, Norma." Sybil said. "You and Little Bear seem to compliment each other. The children involved are young enough to accept him as their father. There are no ex's in the picture to cause friction. Things like housing are not a concern since you're living at the old homestead. Medical care will be a non issue. Government workers have great benefits, and I think Alex loves you enough to walk through fire for you."

Norma's vision blurred with tears.

"I'm just worried about our future. I couldn't stand it if Alex and I, if we wound up hating each other. I mean, we've always been in this little bubble. Where we're perfect and happy. The boys love him, I love him, he loves me. I just feel…"

"You're waiting for it to all crash down." Sybil said.

"Yes." Norma admitted.  
"Children who were raised in a difficult environment often can't accept happiness. They think something bad is looming just behind them."

Norma let tears fall.  
"You're remarkable to have survived such a childhood and become a normal adult. An adult who has also survived being beaten by her husband, nearly to death. An adult who can take care of her children and a my Little Bear." Sybil told her.

Norma looked up at the older woman.  
"I heard about the food poisoning to." the older woman admitted. "The world is coming to an end when a man gets sick."

"Tell me about it." Norma laughed.

"Norma, I don't think Little Bear is the type to give up on his family. He's gone for so long without one, that I think he will cling desperately to the one he's making with you."

"What if I mess it up?" Norma asked. "What if I ruin everything?"

"What if the earth stops spinning and we all die?" Sybil shrugged. "You can't spend your life worrying about that. You have to spend it doing."

Norma leaned back in her chair while Sybil looked in her bag for a cigarette.  
"Can you believe they banned smoking in all government buildings? What kind of bullshit is that? I told them I was grandfathered in, but Mayor Heldens won't listen." the older woman said.

"George?" Norma asked in surprise.  
"Yes." Sybil said absentmindedly. "I think he's going to work out fine as mayor."

"Oh." Norma said.  
"He's the only mayor in over twenty years who had the nerve to raise taxes on those million dollar homes and taxes on all the yachts. It means my programs won't be cut and we might actually have a fiscal surplus this year." the older woman explained. "He's very clever."

"George bought the Summers' house, and the motel." Norma confided in the older woman.  
"I know. He wants to tear it down but the county won't release it as a crime scene yet. He doesn't want it to become some morbid tourist attraction. It's bad for the town if people associate us with a murder house."

Norma kept her mouth closed and didn't mention Alex's encounter at the Summer's house.

"Congratulations on the twins." Sybil said having finally found her cigarettes. "I think Alex will be in heaven with his own cubs."

~ Alex was waiting in the visitors room of the county prison. He waved his badge at the front gates and, as Sheriff, was allowed in. No appointment necessary for law enforcement. It had been years since he was here last, and he never expected to be here again. There was an oppressive feeling about this place. Like there wasn't enough air to breathe. But that was prison for you.

"You're looking well." the Old Bear Romero said to his only child. Alex's father had brought them both coffee from the small visitors kitchen. A hospitality that gave the illusion of comfort. "I'm glad to see you, Alex. It's been… a long time. How have you been?"

"This isn't a social visit." Alex said meekly. Even now, years later, he was still slightly intimidated by the Old Bear of White Pine Bay. He was ashamed his voice shook and ashamed he couldn't call his father out for being abusive to his mother and to him. For being a dirty cop who insulted his mother even after her death.

"I've been keeping track of you, Alex." the bear said. He'd gained more weight in prison, but he was still muscular and strong. Alex hadn't missed the way his father ordered the other prisoners around in the yard before. Even here, he was running the show.

Alex refused to look at his father.  
"I get the paper." the bear said. "I read all about you saving that child after shooting that man. About the poor woman who almost downed in the bay. I saw the picture of you by the car trying to save her. How you got those children out and everything. I read about you catching that child killed to. I've got the article about you being elected Sheriff by my bunk. I can't tell you how proud it made me."

"Stop." Alex said softly.  
"You're a hero, son. My own son."

"Stop it." Alex commanded and met his father in the eye. He wondered why he'd been so intimidated by his father all these years. Was it reputation alone that created the monster?

"I read about what happened at the old Summers' house. Terrible thing." the older man shook his head, ignoring his son. "That house was always nothing but trouble."

"Stop it." Alex said. "I know about the ledger. I know about you putting my mother's name in there."

"It's just a name." the Old Bear said. Obviously, he could care less about Alex's mother.

"It's bad enough you made her kill herself, you used her to cover up your crimes." Alex accused.  
"I didn't make her kill herself."

"You did."

"I loved her."

"You don't love anyone."

"Alex, don't give me your self-righteous attitude. We both know you're responsible for me being here. Isn't it enough that you've won?" he father asked.  
"You were a dirty cop to the rotten core and you deserve to spend the rest of your life here." Alex said smartly.

"Tell me about yourself." the Old Bear demanded. The policeman in him kicking in and wanting answers to his questions. "Who are you seeing these days? Anyone special?"

"No one worth mentioning to you." Alex snapped.

"Still so angry at me for what your mother did." his father huffed. "Once you get married and you have to take care of a family, you'll understand what a burden it is to have a wife who just gives up."

Alex slammed his fist down on the table and stood up. He was ready to punch the old man. He wanted to kill him for everything he'd done his whole life.

One of the guards came into the visitors room at hearing the noise and seeing the younger man wanting to murder the older one.

"You're going to rot in here." Alex said after composing himself. "And I don't give a shit."

~ Norma was leaving Sybil's office at City Hall when she heard her name called. She tuned to see George running to greet her.

"I thought that was you." he said happily. "How have you been? I was worried after what happened at the house."

"Oh." Norma stuttered. She felt uncomfortable around George with his new status as Mayor. "I'm fine, I was just visiting Sybil."

"Good lady, Miss Lawson." George nodded and fell into step with Norma as they walked down the hall. "Her father was mayor and she's been in public service longer than anyone here."

"Yes, she told me al about it." Norma smiled.

"She's very practical." George agreed.

Norma looked over her Ex and saw he looked very nice at Mayor. He was dressed in a three piece suit with a well chosen tie. There was more confidence about him now that he had authority.

"Being Mayor looks good on you." she offered.

George laughed.

"Yes, well, I try." he admitted. "Would you like to go next door and get some coffee maybe? I know you shouldn't drink coffee in you condition, but they have juice."

He was quick and eager for her to say yes.  
"George…" she sighed. "Sheriff Romero will be home soon." she said carefully.

"Right." he said. "Sheriff Romero."

"It was nice seeing you again." she nodded before leaving him.

"It was nice seeing you again to, Norma." he said sadly. "I've missed you."


	115. Chapter 115

115.

~ Alex felt nervous having to see Rebecca again. His visit with his father hadn't left him feeling more confident or empowered. If anything, it made him feel worse.

He felt like a child who's feelings were dismissed as unimportant by a parent he had so desperately wanted to forgive. As a young child, Alex had worshiped his father. He had wanted to be just like him. However, years of seeing his mother abused and ignored, had hardened Alex against the man. Even now, he wanted the Old Bear to show some kind of regret. Give his only child some sign that he was sorry. He should have known that his father would never take responsibility for anything. Time wouldn't change that. It changed everything else, but it would never change the fact that his father thought he was God, and could do as he wanted.

It felt like a knife to his heart when his father claimed to have loved his mother. The man loved nothing but himself. If he had ever loved Alex's mother, he would have never let her fall into the abyss that had claimed her life. He never would have said such unkind words that made her cry everyday. Never pushed her over that edge where her demons found her. Where the darkness took her and she couldn't find a way out.

Alex would never hurt Norma like he'd seen his father hurt his mother. He didn't have such maliciousness in him. Not that Norma would ever allow Alex to be cruel to her. His tiger would likely maul him nearly to death, cook him a nice dinner and tell him to take out the garbage.

He wished Norma, his tiger, had been there with him when he'd spoken to his father. What would she say to him? The guards would have to come in to protect the prisoner from the likes of Norma Romero.

Alex smiled to himself. He imagined a tiger attacking a bear. The tiger, more vicious and agile, easily winning that fight.

"Sheriff?" Clarice knocked on the door and let herself in. "Rebecca Hamilton is here."

Alex leaned over his desk and closed a sensitive file.

"Send her in." he said. "Then shut the door."

Rebecca gave the Sheriff's receptionist a smug look when she stalked past her. Alex's ex looked very attractive in red today. Her skirt far too short and her heels too high. She could easily become a street walker in that outfit. Norma wouldn't be caught dead in that dress or those heels.

Romero imagined a tiger slapping a house cat.

"I have your warrant." he said once Clarice had closed his office door.  
"Alex, that's great!" Rebecca said with a giddy smile.  
"I want those ledgers." he said darkly when he handed her the warrant signed by a judge who signed anything you put in front of him.

Rebecca looked uncomfortable.  
"What?" he asked.  
"Look, I'll give you the cash, Alex. I'll let you have all of it. I need the ledgers so that certain people can keep collecting their share of the profit. Now that Bob Paris is out of the picture, everyone is after me to access their money."

"I don't believe you." Romero said. "I have a warrant. I'm going to take those ledgers whether you like it or not."

"Alex, you know how people are in this town. Nick Ford the Martian family? They will be after me if those accounts aren't settled!" Rebecca said desperately.

Alex was surprised to find himself feeling sorry for her. She'd been manipulated and used just as surely as he had by Bob Paris.

"You can take the cash, three million. Untraceable." she promised. "But I have to have the ledgers, Alex. They will kill me."

"You control the accounts." he accused. The puzzle clicking into place for him. "This isn't about you fearing retaliation. You have control of all the money. You're planning to cash out and skip town."

Rebecca's face flushed red at the accusation.  
"How much is in there?" he said in an amused voice. "Fifty million? More?"

"Over eighty million." she said coldly.

Alex gave a low whistle.

"Let me guess, those ledgers will incriminate some very important people in this town. Not just Nick Ford and the Martians." he said.  
Rebecca refused to look at him.  
"Alex, I trusted you." she whispered.

"You were going to use me to gain access to the safe and clear out all that drug money." he grinned. "You thought you could buy me off with only three million? It will take a lot more than that."

Rebecca looked at him in surprise.  
"I want half." he said. "If I'm going to get you in that safe, I want half. My mother's name is on the ledgers to, Rebecca. I'm entitled."

Her eyes were sparkling with delight and a grin spread across her face.

"I knew you'd come around." she said and, before ehe could stop her, she was hugging him. Her strong perfume overpowering his senses as she brushed her lips across his ear like she knew he liked.

"Alex, we can do this. Let's just take the money and go… together. We can leave tonight and never look back. Let's just leave." she whispered desperately.  
Alex took in a deep breath.  
"It's a lot of money." he admitted.

"Enough so that we can live anywhere we want. Be anyone we want."

"You had access to all that money before Bob Paris left. Why didn't you take it?" he asked. He ran his hands over her rear and she arched her back into his chest.

"That's why I needed the warrant, Alex." she said playfully. "He had it in that safe deposit box. All the ledgers on a disc and I couldn't get to the accounts without it."  
"Eighty million." he whispered in her ear. "Must have been killing you knowing it was there and you couldn't get to it."

He kissed her cheek and she grinned her cat like grin.  
"Nick Ford's money. The Martian family, all the big movers and shakers are on it, Alex." she said happily.  
"Enough that they won't come after us." he said. "We have enough evidence to put them away if we do. They have to buy our silence and eighty million will work."

"Eighty million and you will work just fine." she smiled. "Once the accounts are emptied, we can demand more from Nick Ford and the rest. It's expensive living on our own tropical island."

Alex looked down at her and remembered exactly what he'd always found so exciting. Rebecca was a bad girl at heart. The man he used to be found attractive, but he hardly liked it now.  
"Did you get everything you needed, Chuck?" he asked loudly.

Rebecca looked confused and Alex felt her stiffen in his arms.

As if it were a well rehearsed play, Charlotte waltzed into his office followed closely by two DEA agents.  
"More than enough, Sheriff." she said with her shark smile. "Rebecca Hamilton, you are under arrest for grand larceny, lying to federal investigators, obstruction of justice, bank fraud and securities fraud."

"Don't forget attempting to blackmail a law enforcement officer to illegally gain a search warrant." Alex said helpfully.

He had stepped away from Rebecca, who looked horrified at this turn of events.  
"Alex?" Rebecca said. Tears were brimming in her eyes as the DEA agents were putting handcuffs on her.  
One of them were reciting her rights.

"You never got the search warrant to open the safe deposit box." she accused hatefully.  
"No, I did." Alex told her. "But the DEA and FBI will find it much more interesting reading."

"You just threw away millions. You think you're so morally superior." Rebecca hissed. "What makes you think Nick Ford and all those assholes on that ledger won't come after you now?"

"Let them try." Alex said darkly.

Rebecca was crying now.  
"All of them are going to go to prison for a long time. They're criminals. Just like you." he said.

"Is that the same speech you gave to Bob Paris before you killed him?" Rebecca asked innocently.

"I would advise you to keep quite till you talk to your lawyer." Charlotte said. "Sheriff Romero here is still wearing the wire."

"He killed Bob Paris!" Rebecca shrieked hysterically. "He killed Bob Paris!"

The DEA agents were hauling her away while she screamed at the indignity of the arrest.  
"Wow!" Charlotte said with a grin. "Why are all the hot girls always insane?"

Alex felt the tension in the room ease with his friend's casual comment.  
"I don't know, but beautiful women are always crazy." he said.

"You're wife must be ready for the nut house then." she teased. "Congratulations by the way."

He turned to her.  
"Who told you?" he asked.  
"Norma called me yesterday. We had a long talk. Told me about my name sake and asked me to be God mother." Charlotte said effortlessly. "Of course I said yes."

"Of course." Alex agreed.

His old friend looked sad a moment.  
"Alex, you know we have to open that safe deposit box, look at those names, without you. You know that, right?" she asked.

"I know." he agreed. "I know I can't be involved now that my father will be implicated in a new crime."

"It won't be pretty. We may finally have these assholes by the short hairs. We're going to end the drug trade once and for all. Maybe you should take the family out of town for a while. It might get messy." she said.

"No. I won't roll over and show my belly to these people." he said. "I can't let Norma know or worry either. I won't show fear."

"Pretty ones are always insane." Charlotte sighed.

 **Sorry for the late chapter and the short chapter. Kinda in a bad mood tonight.**


	116. Chapter 116

116.

~ Norma woke up alone in bed and instantly felt the weight of her husband's absence last night. He'd been working a lot of overtime the past few days and it was rare to catch a glimpse of him at home. She wasn't sure what was happening, Alex never talked about the details of his role as Sheriff. She knew there was a lot of ugliness he wanted to shield her from, so she often knew nothing about what went on in the Sheriff's department. Yet, she sensed something monumental was about to happen. There were a static in the air when she went into town to buy groceries. It was like a thunderstorm approaching, an eerie calm just before chaos and destruction ensued.

She sensed Alex knew exactly what the cause of this storm was, but wouldn't say anything to her. Whenever he was home, rare though it was these days, he never talked about work. He only wanted to play ball with the boys, eat dinner, and watch a little TV before going to bed. Norma knew something wasn't right in her husband's world, but he wouldn't let her in enough to know what it was. That stoic wall had come back up. Her Alex was the unfeeling Sheriff Bulldog, even when he was off the clock.

From the looks of their bed, he hadn't come home last night. Instead, leaving her to sleep alone.

Feeling disappointed and hurt, Norma pulled her blue robe on and went into the kitchen to make breakfast. She almost missed Alex sitting on the couch watching the morning news and drinking coffee. His attention focused on a reporter who was standing in front of the Sheriff's station.

"Four more individuals were arrested last night on charges of possession with intent to distribute. The DEA estimates the value of the fields near White Pine Bay to be upwards of five million dollars. This latest round of arrests have brought the grand total to twenty-five people now in custody, in what is being called the largest drug sting in US history. So far, over fifty million dollars have been frozen in an illegal overseas account, and the DEA has promised more arrests will come soon."

"This is here?" Norma asked in surprise.

Alex jumped and turned to see her standing behind him. He quickly shut off the TV as if she'd caught him watching a naughty movie. Norma noticed the couch had been dressed with sheets and blankets. Alex choosing to sleep there instead of disturbing her when he arrived home so late.

"Alex, what happened?" she asked gently. He refused to look back at her. Keeping his attention focused on anything but answering her.

"The DEA came in." he said at last. "They're burning down all the pot fields, arresting the big players, and the small players."

"I didn't know that kind of thing was happening here." she said in surprise. "Did you know people were growing weed?"

She honestly had no clue about any of this. Alex had never mentioned pot fields, it was the kind of thing that wouldn't have escaped his notice.

"Everyone knows, Norma." he sighed. "My dad, when he was Sheriff, he started the pot ring. I found out last week he collected his share even after he went to prison. Used my mother's name to keep getting paid. He won't be getting another payday, not ever."

"Oh, my God." Norma breathed. "What an asshole! I'm glad he's penniless and in prison."

She saw her husband smile a little, but his face looked troubled.  
"It seems all the information was stored in Bob Paris' accounting ledgers." he explained. "I was asked to step away from the investigation… because my parents were involved. The DEA are in charge, arrests are being made daily, and it's a bloodbath right now."

"Alex, I'm sorry." she said.

He took a sip of coffee and looked back at her.  
"How are the babies?" he asked. His expression clear that he was interested and always worried.

"Hungry." Norma told him honestly. "I can't seem to stop eating, it's a mess. Alex, what if I get really fat?"  
She gave him her most comforting smile, but he looked worried. Not about her gaining weight, but about everything else happening around them. Things that were now out of his control. Were bigger than both of them.  
"I think we need to get some dogs." he said spontaneously.  
"What?" Norma snapped. She wasn't a fan of pets. She didn't like dogs or cats because they shed and made a mess. Plus they tore things up an made the house stink.  
"I was thinking of adopting two of the retired police dogs from Portland. A buddy of mine is looking for a home for them. It will be good for the boys to have dogs. Teach them responsibility."

"Alex, I don't want dogs in the house. They're going to destroy the house and track in dirt and who knows what else." Norma pulled a face and shook her head.  
"Well, I think two former police dogs will be good home security." he said and stood up. Norma felt that intense anxiety race through her body.  
"Are we in danger, Alex?" she asked. "Is that why you want dogs here? Because of the drug raids, you think someone might come to hurt us?"

Alex tried to meet her eyes, but failed.

"Maybe it would be best if you and the boys went out of town for a few weeks. Just in case. It's turning into a circus with all these arrests and I'm afraid someone might decide to retaliate against me by hurting my family." he explained sadly. His voice breaking slightly when his gaze fell on her abdomen. Her condition now more than just a slight rise, easily concealed by clothing. The babies were intent on making their presence known to the world now.

"No, I'm not leaving you." she said stubbornly. "We promised to look after each other, remember? I wouldn't be a very good Sheriff's wife if I hid out somewhere while you had to face all this alone."

"I knew you'd say no." he sighed. "So that means were getting dogs, Norma. Vicious dogs that will attack intruders."

"What about the boys?" Norma gasped in horror. She could see it now, some type of hell hound ripping the face off of Norman or Dylan. "Won't those kinds of dogs be dangerous?"

"No, these are trained to attack a specific person with a specific command. Dogs want to protect their owners, it's their nature. The boys will be perfectly safe." he promised.  
"What about the babies?" she asked.  
"The babies are exactly why we need extra security." he said and walked around the couch to her. She smiled in delight at the feel of his hands moving possessively over her hips. The way he always pulled her towards him with that wonderful rush of excitement and need.

"You know, you're not off the hook, Sheriff." she told him when she felt herself in danger of falling under his spell.

"I'm not?" he asked innocently.

"No." she told him and tried to pull away. Her husband holding her body firmly against his. Refusing to let her go. "You should have told me what was going on. You've been distant all this time. You should have told me what your dad did. Maybe I could have helped."

"No. I don't want you stressed over this. It's not good for the babies." he said.  
"Let me worry about the babies." she snapped. "I know more about what's going on with them than you do, Sheriff."

Alex gave her a look that said he'd been properly scolded.

"I would have loved to see you yell at the Old Bear last week when I talked to him." he admitted. His hands wandering down to her bottom. His lips playfully kissing her.  
"You saw your dad?" she asked in surprise. "You visited him?"

"I was hoping prison had changed him. Hoping for some kind of… remorse for what he did."

"And?"

"I was disappointed, but not surprised. He hasn't changed at all. He doesn't feel the slightest guilt over what he did to my mom. What he did to me." Alex said sadly.

Norma saw the younger version of Alex clearly in her mind. She saw a sad, lonely young boy wanting nothing more than affection and encouragement from a parent. A child being raised by broken people. Thankfully, Alex had grown into a man who made the choice to break the cycle. Her husband always willing to spend time with their children. Always telling them how much they had improved in whatever they were trying to do. Her husband wanting to be nothing like his own father, but instead, wanting to just be a good man.

"Well, he was lucky I wasn't there." she sighed.

"I thought the same thing." he admitted with a real smile this time. "You're a little vicious when you're angry."

"Angry and hungry." she nodded. "Don't mess with me till I've eaten."

Alex's body was holding her tightly to his, his lips close, but not close enough to touch hers. She had to kiss him first, and when she did, she knew he would never let her go.

~ "Okay, Norman." his mother said encouragingly. "Show your dad how to take care of the babies."

Alex watched in mild amusement as Norman took the two life like baby dolls out of the doll cribs and carefully held them the way he'd been taught. He placed each baby doll carefully on the coffee table as his parents watched from their spot on the couch.  
"Very good." Norma beamed happily.

"Do babies have weak necks or heavy heads?" Dylan asked. Like his brother, Dylan had been taught how to hold a newborn to, but didn't seem as interested.

"I think it's both." Alex whispered to his oldest.

"So how do we change the baby's diaper?" Norma asked her youngest.

Alex leaned back in the couch as Norman put on a demonstration of undressing the dolls and putting on a real diaper. Norman was careful when he handled the atomically correct dolls who were dressed in appropriate blue and pink each.  
"Where's his wee-wee?" Norman asked suddenly pointing dramatically to the girl doll.

"Girl's don't have a those." Dylan said quickly. "Only boys."

Norman looked slightly horrified and his mother laughed.

"Girls have girl parts and boys have boy parts, honey." she told him.  
"The babies, boy and a girl?" Norman asked.  
"That's right." Norma said. "One boy and one girl. You'll have to help us a lot with them because your dad never took care of a baby before."  
"You're really good at this, Norman." Alex pointed out helpfully.

They watched their youngest carefully re-do the baby doll's clothing, expertly hold the girl doll to his chest and take the toy bottle his mother gave him to pretend to feed it.

"I think the twins will like you." Alex added and he and Norma exchanged conspiratorial smiles.

"He's too little to take care of babies." Dylan pouted.  
"No, I'm not!" Norman cried out passionately.

"Yes, you are. You're going to drop one on it's head and it's going to be retarded."

"Dylan!" Norma cried.  
"Son, go to your room if you can't be nice." Alex ordered.

Dylan whined a little and didn't want to be sent away.  
"Are you going to be nice? Help your brother?" Alex asked in a stern tone.  
"Yes." Dylan said with a pout.

"Yes, what?" Alex asked.  
"Yes, sir." Dylan said petulantly.  
"Good." Alex turned back to Norman. The child making great strides in overcoming his hatred and jealousy over not being the baby of the family anymore.  
"Norman, why don't you show Alex how to hold the babies?" Norma suggested. "Make sure he does it right."

Norman nodded and Alex did his best to show complete ignorance of how to hold the doll. Norman having to tell him to keep the head up and support the bottom.

"Norman, I'm glad you're here to help us." Alex said gently. Norman beaming with pride over the accomplishment of knowing all about how to care for newborns.

"Yeah, I can help you so you don't drop one." he said eagerly.

 **Two steps forward, and one step back for me. But it's getting better everyday. I had a bad panic attack last night and almost did that thing where I shut myself off from the rest of the world. It takes a lot to force myself not to crawl under a rock sometimes and feel sorry for myself. Once I'm surrounded by the people who love me, even if it's just a text or something, I feel better.**

 **I've decided to go back to church after having a complicated relationship with faith the past ten years. I don't like the hate that often spews from "good" Christians. It's a turn off.**

 **I think I've found a very progressive church about an hours drive outside of the town I live in. It's run by a very enlightened group and the senior minister is someone I went to high school with. I'm really looking forward to becoming a happy and fulfilled person again.**

 **With all the horrible trauma that comes with losing a parent, I've gained so much. I've gained a closer relationship with my sister. She's a beautiful human being and I would be lost without her. I've also had so many unexpected friends come out for me. Willing to stand up for me and let me vent my anger, sorrow and anything else at them.**

 **You really learn who your friends are in times like these and I'm extremely blessed.**


	117. Chapter 117

117.

~ "Now boys, remember what we talked about with the dogs." Alex said for what felt like the hundredth time. "Rocky and Apollo are your responsibility. You have to make sure they get their food first thing in the morning. No laying around in bed. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." Dylan and Norman said in unison.

Norma let out an audible sigh and settled herself in the rocking chair out front. Alex turned around to see his wife, looking far too over burdened with the weight of the twins, practically collapsing in the front porch rocker. Her feet so sore and swollen from work that day, it made Alex wince in sympathy to see her in pain.

Very soon now, although Norma didn't like the idea, she would have to leave work. Her second trimester was leaving her exhausted and there was no denying that rapid growth of the babies now. her maternity clothing getting too small after just a week.

"The dogs will depend on the two of you. So they have to have clean water, and food." Alex explained to Dylan and Norman.  
"Can they sleep with us?" Norman asked hopefully.

When Alex and Norma had told the boys they were adopting two former police dogs, Dylan and Norman could hardly contain their happiness. Alex, very wisely, leapt at the chance to teach the boys all about caring for another living thing. It also didn't hurt that they could do most of the work.  
"Only if they want to." Alex said. "Remember, they're older and have minds of their own."

"Will they bite us?" Norman asked.  
"No." Alex promised. "Remember when we saw them last week? How they wagged their tails and sniffed you?"

Norman nodded.

"Means they like you. If you boys take care of them, they will take care of us." Alex promised.

The boys looked excited at the prospect of having real police dogs of their very own. Their step father had taken all of them to Portland to meet Rocky and Apollo in their foster home. Their former trainer had given each of them careful instructions on how to care for them. Norma's fears were relived immediately when both German Shepard's large and beautiful, had become so enamored with Norman, they licked his face and refused to leave him alone.

"They're here!" Dylan shouted when a large truck with a built in kennel came up the drive.

"Boys, stay calm. Remember, this is a new environment to them. New smells and we don't want them to be scared." Alex told them. He pulled out a dog whistle in case Rocky and Apollo decided to wander off too far on their first evening on the farm.

Norman was bouncing up and down with giddy anticipation and glee.

"Rocky and Apollo!" he cried happily.

"One can sleep in my bed and the other can sleep in yours." Dylan told his little brother.  
"Okay." Norman agreed.

Alex watched their handler unload the ramp and escort Rocky, a brown and black German Shepard, then Apollo, a black German Shepard with large, doe like eyes to the grass.

The pair looked around and then focused on Dylan and Norman. With a slight wagging of tails, Rocky and Apollo trotted over to their new, smaller masters and affectionately licked their faces. Norman started to giggle helplessly.  
"Lets show them around!" Dylan shouted. "Show them the farm!"

He and Norman started to run and Rocky and Apollo started to bark, wag their tails and give chase. Their police training forgotten in favor of running after their pint-sized humans now.  
"I think they'll do just fine, Sheriff." Mr. Lawson said shaking Alex's hand. The two men watched the boys running over the property with the dogs chasing them and barking excitedly.

"I always wanted a dog." Alex confessed. "Never was allowed to have one."

"Well, Rocky and Apollo were eligible for retirement after their handler was shot and killed. They took it hard. It's why we decided to take them out of work detail. I think they'll like it here with the kids." Mr. Lawson admitted.

Alex grinned when he saw Rocky run onto the front porch, sniff at Norma, jump back down again and chase after Dylan.

~ "I think it was a good idea." Norma admitted when the two of them were settled in for the evening. Rocky and Apollo wanting to sleep in the laundry room together instead of with Dylan and Norman. Alex had to explain to them that they'd been trained not to sleep with humans. Still, both boys were madly in love with their new friends.

"Why, Mrs. Romero. Will wonders never cease with you?" he teased and rubbed her sore feet. She looked too exhausted to smile.

"I think they boys will take care of the dogs. It was a good idea, giving them companions to play with." she said and yawned.

Alex felt bad for her. Her poor body betraying her and sapping out all of her energy these days. All she wanted to do was sleep, and she quickly became exhausted after being active for just a few hours.

"You're coming with me to the doctor's office tomorrow right?" she asked sleepily. Alex had helped her change into her night clothes. His wife too worn out to even undress right now. After work, she did a little cleaning and settled on the couch with her feet up to stop the swelling. She'd been too tired to cook and he'd ordered pizza for dinner. He became worried when she didn't even protest.

"Of course." he said. "Don't worry, I'm sure once this rough part is over, everything will be fine."

He kept rubbing her swollen, sore feet.  
"I gave Hilary my notice today." Norma sighed. "She said it was okay to not come in for the next two weeks. I think they're all a little worried for me with the babies."

"I know I am." Alex admitted and looked at his wife wanting to nod off right in front of him.

"I'm ready for the babies to be here." she sighed. "It's still months away."

"They will be here before you know it." Alex promised.

"Hmm." Norma sighed and he watched her fall asleep.

~ Doctor Bloch looked concerned. Alex could read anyone's expression and he knew Doctor Bloch's face was worried over the state of Norma's swollen feet and the news she was always tired. According to the pregnancy book Alex was reading, the second trimester was supposed to be easier. No more morning sickness and the babies will start kicking.  
"Mrs. Romero." Doctor Block said at last. He'd taken his time looking over the sonogram and not giving them any information. "This isn't easy."

"What is it?" Norma asked. Her voice frail with worry.

"The edema, the hypertension and the fatigue are enough to concern me." Doctor Bloch explained. "I'll have to run a few tests to be sure, but I'm fairly certain it's pre-eclampsia."

Norma looked saddened, but not shocked.  
"I was afraid of that." she admitted.

"Wait, what's wrong?" Alex demanded. "What is it?"

"Pre-eclampsia is a complication found in the second trimester of pregnancy. The swelling in the feet, the fatigue and other warning signs are hallmarks of the condition. It's serious, but normally not life treating for the mother anymore."

"Life treating?" Alex asked.  
"Alex." Norma said gently. "It's fine."

"Mrs. Romero, I'm putting you on bed rest for the remainder of your pregnancy. You can get up only to use the facilities, and nothing more." Doctor Bloch said seriously.

"Wait." Alex demanded. "My wife could die?"

"I don't think it will become that serious." Doctor Bloch said. "I'll come see you in two weeks at your home so you won't have to travel."

Alex felt very worried now. Doctor's never made house calls.  
"I promise I'll stay in bed." Norma said.

"I'm going to give you a prescription to help you feel better. Normally Pre-eclampsia wouldn't affect a woman as young and healthy as you, Mrs. Romero. However twins cause a greater complication. You should have felt them move already and I'm concerned that you haven't." Doctor Bloch said.

"Wait. Are the babies alright?" Alex demanded.

Doctor Bloch looked at the prospective father as if seeing him for the first time.  
"With bed rest and medication, they will be, Sheriff." the doctor promised.

 **Sorry for the short chapter and the late post. I'm a little worn out after a busy day myself.**


	118. Chapter 118

118.

~ Alex was careful to drive his wife home slowly. He was afraid of hitting potholes that would surely cause a miscarriage.

"Alex, I think you're worrying too much." Norma sighed when he was driving far below the speed limit on the country road.

"How you could you not have told me about these complications, Norma?" her husband demanded suddenly.

She looked back at him in surprise and let her hands rest protectively over her expanding belly.

"I wasn't sure it would happen." she said calmly. She couldn't allow his fears to become hers. "I had some swelling before and Doctor Bloch said it was nothing to worry about."

"It sounds really serious if he's putting you on bed rest until the babies get here." Alex said. He sounded angry and Norma tried not to think about how much her feet were hurting in shoes already too small. She had kept off her feet as much as possible today, but the swelling had returned from just sitting in the doctor's office.

"I should have made you leave work sooner. This wouldn't have happened." Alex said. Norma know he wasn't angry at her. Not really. He was angry that this was a problem he couldn't fix.

"It wouldn't have made a difference." Norma said calmly. "Two babies at once presents more complications than usual."

Alex shook his head.

"I'm going to have to make sure the boys let you rest. You'll have to stay in bed for the next four months." he sighed.  
"Doctor Bloch might want to induce me before the original due date." Norma admitted.

"When did he say that?" Alex demanded.  
"We talked about the possibility that they will take the babies before the due date." She said.  
" **Take** them?" Alex asked. "Take them where?"

"It just means a cesarean delivery." Norma explained. She was already feeling too exhausted to educate her husband on the fine art of having babies.

"He wants to do a cesarean?" Alex asked.

"It's going to be okay." Norma told him and held back a yawn.

~ Alex wished he could do more to help his wife. She was always the one in his life who fixed things. She was the one who made sure they had everything they needed. She kept the house clean, their clothes freshly laundered, dinners on the table and countless other things Alex couldn't even think of right now.

As he was helping her to bed, it occurred to him that he was responsible for not just her health and the health of their unborn twins, but also the boys. He was the one now who had to make sure they got up and dressed for school. Who had to drive them there and pick them up again. Who had to make sure everyone ate a decent meal before making sure they went to bed.

Norma looked exhausted as he helped ease her into bed and took off her shoes. Already her feet were so swollen, there were red marks where her shoes had cut into her skin.

"It's okay." she whispered when she noticed that he was looking worriedly at her feet. He knelt down beside her bed as if in prayer.  
She took his hand and gave him a smile.  
"Alex, the babies will be fine. If it was serious, I'd be in a hospital now, right?" she asked.

"I've never been so scared." he whispered, as though in confession, and kissed her hand. "Everything that matters to me in the world…"

His gaze feel on her and roamed over to her abdomen.

"Alex." she said solemnly. "I need you to promise me something."

"What?"

"If the worst should happen." she said slowly. Her hands moving over her stomach. Charlotte on the right and Michael on the left. "If you have to chose between me or the babies…"

"Norma." he shook his head. Such a scenario was too horrible to think about.

"Alex, you have to chose **them**." she ordered. "Promise me."

He was shaking his head. Norma dying. Losing her forever. It would be unbearable.

"Promise you'll save the babies first." she demanded.

"No, I can't." he said and felt tears well up. He wasn't a cryer. Never had been, even as a child, but the idea of his wife, mother to his children leaving this life was unimaginable.

"Promise that you look after Dylan and especially Norman." she said gently. Her fingers wiped away a rouge tear that had escaped. "That you'll take care of the twins."

"Norma, I can't do this without you." he whispered. "You make it look easy. I don't know the first thing about taking care of children and especially babies."

He felt fear, greater than he'd ever known before, clamp down on him with a painful grip.

Norma made herself more comfortable.  
"Alex, I need to know you'll take care of the boys and the twins." Norma pleaded. "Please."

She looked especially sad and that sadness made her even more beautiful. He was willing to promise her anything.

"Of course I'll take care of them." he said easily.

"I want you to remarry to." she whispered. "Understand, Sheriff?"

"Yes, Mrs. Romero." he nodded calmly.

Her hands found his again and he watched with fascination as her fingers laced with his.  
"So, I can just go to the playboy mansion and pick out a new wife?" he asked.  
"No, Sheriff." she said quickly. "No, I'll make a list of women I've pre-approved for you to marry. I don't want you to be too happy."

He felt the tightness in his chest ease when she smiled at him.

"So, no playmates? What if they look just like you?" he asked.  
"No, playmates, Sheriff." she scolded and gave him a smile.

"Darn." he sighed.

"You know, you're going to have to make dinner tonight." she warned.  
"If by make dinner you mean I'll put a call into a fast-food place." he said.  
"Alex." she warned. "Cooking isn't that hard."

"For you it's not." he retorted. "I can make the boys sandwiches." he decided at last.

Norma sighed in annoyance.

"Well, as soon as I'm back on my feet, I'll cook for us again. You and the boys are going to have to do the laundry and keep the house clean. You'll need to make sure that Norman's favorite shirt is ready on Monday. Dylan's PE clothes need to be washed by tomorrow morning and don't forget to drop them both off at school and daycare and sign them in. Norman needs his medication promptly at seven am. He has to take it with food, so give him some crackers to go with it. Also, Dylan had a dentist appointment on Tuesday and don't believe him when he tells you the office called and cancelled it. Norman had to get new shoes, and I want him to start wearing lace ups so he can learn to tie them. You need to go to the grocery store and get a few things for the rest of the week. I can talk you through making dinner, we're not going to eat fast-food till I'm better." she explained. Her voice becoming a kind of white noise in Alex's ears just now. He never realized how much Norma accomplished on an average day. How intricate her world was.  
"We need to hire someone to come help you." he decided.  
"No, we don't." Norma said dismissively. "It's just laundry, cooking, cleaning, dishes, childcare and running errands."

Alex shook his head.  
"We need to hire some help, Norma." he said at last.

 **Again, sorry for the short chapter. I'll have the weekend off and I'll be playing catch up then. Since losing daddy, my time is never my own anymore. But its almost over and I can get back to a normal routine again.**

 **We move into our new home in November and I'm finally starting to feel excited about it. Hubby and I have lived in our apartment for over 15 years now. I'm thankful dad left us enough money to put a good sized downpayment on a new house being built just for us. It will be the start of a new chapter in our lives. If you want to see pictures, I'll post them to my Instagram account tonight. they just put up the drywall so it looks a lot better now.**

 **I'm at Angelofthemorning1978 on Instagram. #thesamecolorblue**


	119. Chapter 119

119.

~ Alex wasn't prepared for the amount of work involved in keeping a house together and running smoothly. Norma had made him a list that night and, at first, he thought she was joking. Surely she didn't do dishes twice a day, while at the same time doing five to six loads of laundry, cooking and cleaning.

Just the chore of getting the boys up, dressed and ready for the day was daunting enough.

"Boys, you're going to have to dress yourself this morning. Your mom's fine but the doctor wants her to rest till the babies are here." he told Dylan. Norman was sitting on the edge of his bed and looked ready to go back to sleep.  
"I want to wear my pajamas to school." Dylan announced.  
"No." Alex told him. "You're going to wear normal clothes."

"It's pajama day at school." Dylan said.  
"What?" Alex asked. "No, it's not. Go put on your regular clothes, Dylan."

"I want pancakes." Norman whined.  
"We're going to stop by McDonalds." Alex promised.  
"No. I want the kind Mother makes." Norman said fitfully.  
"Norman, your mom needs to be off her feet till the babies get here." Alex said again.

"We have to feed the dogs!" Dylan said and ran out of the room and outside.

~ It was at least half an hour of trying to get Dylan to come back inside and get dressed. Norman not wanting to brush his teeth and comb his hair, and Alex barely able to keep up with the chaotic morning. As Sheriff, he commanded at anytime over one hundred people. During an emergency, that number could reach a thousand. So why was it so hard to get two young boys up and dressed when Norma had done it a thousand times?  
"The dogs can come to school with us." Dylan said and tried to bring Rocky into the SUV.  
"NO!" Alex barked and regretted raising his voice. "Dylan, buckle your seatbelt and Norman stop throwing things out of your brother's bag!"

~ Mercifully, Alex had gotten Norman to daycare on time and Dylan was only twenty minutes late to class. At first the school didn't want to let him in, but one look from the angry Sheriff of White Pine Bay, and the school secretary shrank away and wrote a hall pass.

It was a relief to finally be at work. The sordid crimes, never ending drama, the fear of retaliation for ending the drug trade were actually welcome when compared to his two boys.

Alex sank into his office chair and his phone rang almost immediately.  
"Sheriff Romero." he groaned into the receiver.

"How did it go today?" Norma asked sarcastically from the other end of the line.  
"You better be in bed, Mrs. Romero." he scolded.

"I'm in bed." she said serenely. "It was very nice to be able to sleep in for once."

"Norma, I don't know how you do it." he sighed and leaned back in his office chair. "I've transported violent criminals who had to have a full escort, and they never gave me as much trouble as the boys gave me today."

"They sensed that you might let them get away with it, Sheriff." she told him. "Don't let them. It's best to treat our boys like prisoners for transport."  
"That's a little harsh."

"Would you rather be nice to them and have another morning like this?" she asked

"No. I can't do that again." Alex sighed. "Dylan wanted to wear his pajamas to school and Norman wanted pancakes in his lunch. They even tried to get the dogs to come to school with them."

Norma was giggling a little and he had to admit the whole situation was pretty funny now that he had a chance to calm down.

"How are you feeling?" he asked at last. "How's the swelling?"

"Much better." Norma told him happily. "I think that medication is really helping. Who knows, I might not have to be on bed rest for too long."

"I'm glad to hear that. I still think we need to hire someone." he said.  
She let out a sigh.  
"I think you may be right. I can ask Sybil. She knows everyone in town. She'll find the right person for us." Norma told him.  
"Good idea." he agreed. "Do you have everything you need?"

"I've got the TV from the living room in here, the phone, my magazines and a book. I'm good to go. I think I might get crazy later and start on a baby blanket for the twins." she said happily.  
"No unnecessary walking around." he ordered. "You're supposed to be on bed rest."

"Doctor Bloch said I could use the facilities." Norma reminded him gently. "I can get my scrap pile at the same time. Start cutting up your old shirts."

Alex felt his face go warm when she talked about the baby blankets she wanted to make. Something she was making for **their** children. It seemed slightly magical.

"I won't leave the bed, I promise." she added.  
"Why do you need my old shirts?" he asked curiously.  
"To make a baby quilt." she said affectionally. "You use fabric from the old clothes of both parents and make a quilt."

"Oh."

"It's very easy." she said. "I promise I'll have my feet up the whole time. I'll just be cutting up squares all morning."

"You better." he warned. But he was smiling at the idea of her doing these little things to prepare for the babies arrival. It made him feel like things might be alright after all.

"Maybe I can bring you something to eat for lunch." he said.  
"Oh, I'd love that." Norma gasped. "I want a Ruban with really salty potato chips, mustard and pickles."

"No-" Alex started to scold and had to remind himself not to scold. "Norma, that's too much sodium." You have to stay away from all that. Remember?"

"No." she said bitterly.  
"I'll bring you some fruit or something." he promised.  
"Fine." she said petulantly. "Make your pregnant wife suffer."

"Mrs. Romero, if I wanted to make you suffer I would have left you home alone with our boys." he told her.

"That wouldn't bother me, Sheriff. I would just locked them out of the house." she said carelessly.

"I'm going to have to remember that." he said feeling foolish he'd never thought of something so barbaric yet ingenious.

"Are you going to be okay, Alex?" she asked. "I know what we talked about yesterday was really hard."

"It was hard." he admitted. "Yes, I'll be okay."

"I'm sure everything will turn out fine." she promised. "I shouldn't have scared you like that."

"Well you did scare me." he scolded her. "I can't lose you."

"You love me that much, huh?" she asked.

"Yes, there's that, but I don't want you to leave me alone with our boys. I think they might try to kill me." he said seriously.

~ As usual, Alex felt better once he'd talked to Norma. It was always soothing to him to use her as a sounding board when he was worried about something. She was his best friend at times and always listened to him and gave him practical advice.

His mood lightened, Sheriff Romero was able to focus on the mountain of paper work before him. The rain came and the skies outside darkened to a frighting shade of blue. It was ominous enough to bring citizens to their windows. Their faces scared of the downpour they could expect.

Alex called Norma to tell her about the storm and not to worry.  
"Gosh, Sheriff, I've never seen it rain before." she told him sarcastically.  
"Don't be a smart ass."

"I'm not being a smart ass."

"Yes, you are."

"Says you." she said child like.

"Norma, I'm coming home to bring you something to eat. I might have to bring the boys home early to." he said. It was always fun to argue with his wife.

"Cool, we can lock them outside." she said.

"I think CPS might have something to say about us locking helpless children out in a storm like this." he reminded her.  
"Well, how dare they tell us how to raise our kids." Norma snapped.

"I'll bring you something from that health food place you like." Alex promised.  
"Fine." she sighed. "But bring me some chocolate cake to. If you come home without chocolate cake, Sheriff, I won't be held responsible for my actions."

"Yes, Ma'am." he nodded before the rain started.

Alex quickly picked up a salad and a slice of chocolate cake for his wife. The rain was going to cause a lot of stress on the town today. Power would be lost in a lot of places and the school would be closed with the bad weather. He turned off his police radio because the calls from dispatch wasn't likely to stop until the storm was over.

Thankfully, the farm still had power and he could see that Norma was perfectly comfortable in bed with her sewing. She was cutting up some of his old and torn work shirts and even old flannel shirts that she declared too far gone to save.

Alex leaned in to kiss her and took a moment to appreciate the view of perfection of his lovely wife sewing. Her hands occupied with such a feminine domestic chore that seemed to enhance her beauty.

"How are your feet?" he asked.

"See for yourself." she smiled and pulled back the blankets. Alex saw the swelling had gone down a lot and her feet looked almost normal again.  
"Much better." he said. The anxiety dropping when he saw the swelling was almost gone.  
"I think that medication is going to work well. I've been feeling pretty good all day." she said happily.  
"That's great." he said and took her hand in his. His favorite thing to do when nervous, hold her hands and and play with her fingers.  
"I still haven't felt the babies move yet." she said sadly. "I always felt movement after the second trimester."

Alex tired to think of something comforting to say.  
"Well… at least the swelling is down." he said at last. "Maybe after a few days they'll start kicking you."

"I can't wait. I'm just afraid…" she said weakly and tired to hold back tears.  
"It's okay." he said and kissed her hands.  
"I just… I think I'll feel better once they start kicking. I won't be so worried about them. If they're kicking, I know that everything is fine." she said. Her voice slightly shaky.  
"Well, if they are anything like their parents, I'm sure they will be fighting like cats and dogs in there." he nodded to her belly.  
She laughed and seemed cheered up by the idea.

"Speaking of dogs, Rocky and Apollo have been in here with me all morning. I think they thought I needed company. The three of us were watching re-runs of 'Designing Women'." she said happily.

"Wow!" Alex said with mock eagerness. "I'm glad I missed that."

"Alex!" she cried but was still smiling.

The phone rang sharply and Norma picked it up.

"Um, yeah, he's right here." she said after a few seconds.

Alex knew it was the station. That something had happened. Something bed enough to call the Sheriff at home.  
Norma handed him the phone.  
"It's Washington." she whispered.

"This is Romero." Alex barked into the receiver.

"Sheriff." Washington said in a near panic. "You need to get back here right away."

"What happened?" Alex asked and tried to ignore the concerned look on Norma's face.

"Sheriff, you need to come right away." Washington said again.


	120. Chapter 120

120.

~ "No. No. Billy wouldn't have run away. Why would he?" Helen Westwood said nervously. Her hands twitching and wanting to scratch her arms again. She was chain smoking her third cigarette and Sheriff Romero wondered how she could accomplish such a thing in under ten minutes. The woman didn't even cough when she inhaled the toxins and puffed the smoke out of her nose like a dragon. Obviously she had a lot of practice.

Helen was barely into her thirties and already her skin looked prematurely wrinkled and weathered. Or maybe that was just the life she lead. Helen Westwood worked as a maid at the motel where she also lived, but Alex, and the rest of the town, knew she was the local prostitute.

Alex remembered when Helen first arrived in White Pine Bay with her drug addict mother. The two of them living out of their run down car and seeming to cause trouble wherever they went. Sybil had tried to help the older Miss Westwood find work, but it soon turned into a futile endeavor. Helen had seemed redeemable at the time. She was still young, at fourteen, when Sybil petitioned the court to have her taken away from her mother. It was a lost cause when the judge found out the young teenager was already ' _working_ ' to pay for basics like a motel for the night and food for herself and her mother.

Their story wasn't anything like Norma's. Helen and her mother didn't seem want help. They didn't want to live a better life or pull themselves out of the filthy gutter. They liked it there. They liked living off of gas station foods. They thought the motel room they paid for weekly was their home, and they were always able to make the most out of such a depressing and hopeless life.

It was only when Helen started having babies that Sybil had to really take action. She even offered Helen cash money to get sterilized. A thing Helen refused to do because she received government aide and that would stop if the children stopped. The court refused to get involved because the minors never seemed to be in danger. Helen hadn't been arrested in a few years for solicitation, and their grandmother claimed she watched them after school.

Wilson had always had a very relaxed attitude towards the Westwood women at the motel. He felt they were necessary and they often provided him with information he needed. Alex had agreed that it was best to leave them alone for the most part. As long and the growing pack of children were kept under control, he decided it was best to let them live their lives as they saw fit.  
"Billy is how old?" Romero asked. He sat in one of the standard motel chairs by a table while Helen sat on the bed opposite. Mother, grown daughter and the children all shared three motel rooms they rented by the week. Romero knew the owner liked them there because it meant more business. For obvious reasons. As far as Alex knew, Helen always made her clients take out a room and never exposed her kids to how she made her real money.

"Billy…" Helen had to think. "Billy will be seven… in October I think."

"October what?" Alex asked.

Helen had to think for a while.

"I'm not sure. The fifteenth... maybe?" she said.

Alex pushed aside the idea a child's own mother didn't know his birthday. Norma knew everything about the boys. Their birthdays, their inoculations, their doctor's name, their dentist's name, their shoe size, their blood type. Right down to how many baby teeth Dylan had lost and left to lose.  
"Is Billy the oldest?" he asked casually.

"No. No. Becky's the oldest. Then Tammy, then Jessica, then Billy and Joey is the baby of the family." Helen told him as if she was used to repeating this information.

Alex glanced at Helen. A woman not that much older than himself and already with five children who, if the rumors were true, all had different fathers around town. Helen seemed indifferent to her overbreeding and Romero tried to ignore the fact she was smoking while heavily pregnant with her sixth child. Another thing Norma would never do. Just the other day, his tiger had scolded him about using profanity around her. That the babies would hear their father cursing and think it was alright.

"So, you said Billy didn't come home last night." Alex reminded her trying to make Helen focus on the crisis at hand.  
"Yeah." she nodded. "I mean, he wasn't in the room this morning. I don't know if he came home last night or not. He knows he's supposed to."

She started scratching her arm where there were several sores already scabbed over. A red flag for drug use.

"When was the last time you saw your son?" Alex said curtly. He was growing annoyed by Helen's relaxed attitude towards her missing son. Norma never would have tolerated her child being missing. If Dylan or, God forbid Norman, had been missing for even an hour, Alex was sure his tiger would unleash hell looking for him. She would never be as calm as Helen was right now. Instead, Norma would be giving all of law enforcement her never ending wrath until her child was found. Romero had to shudder just thinking about it.

"I'm not sure. I didn't get home till really late. I was at Shooters last night with a few friends." Helen said.  
"The bar?" Alex nodded.

"We haven't seen you there in a while, Sheriff." Helen said with a slightly flirty smile. Her teeth more stained than even Sybil's were. Alex suspected Helen was using meth at the rate her teeth were decomposing. "You used to come around a lot more before you got married."

"Let's stay focused, Miss Westwood." Romero said calmly. "Tell me when the last time you saw your son was."

Helen looked uncomfortable. She started squirming like she had bug crawling up her skin.  
"I know you're thinking I'm a bad mother." she said petulantly. She sounded like she was about to cry. Not for her son, but how unfairly this lawman was looking at her and judging her. "But the girls help take care them. You know Becky is almost twelve now I think, and Tammy and Jessica help keep their little brother's for getting into trouble."

"Where do the kids like to play?" Alex asked. He watched as Helen lit another cigarette. Her hands over her round belly, containing the unfortunate child.

"As long as they stay away from here, I don't care where they play." Helen said in a savage tone.

~ "Where was the last place you saw your brother, Becky?" Alex asked the oldest child of Helen Westwood.

"There's a creek out behind the motel." Beck said. At twelve years old, Romero could see Becky Westwood was going to be exactly like her mother. Already the girl was dressing too provocatively, wearing make up and had an indifferent attitude about the world. Only the younger siblings seemed innocent to the world. At the same time, it was clear they were victims of their mother's lifestyle. Although siblings, their paternity was anyone's guess. Becky was tall and overly developed with thin brown hair. Tammy was short and fat with blond hair. Jessica too thin with dark hair and skin. Joey at five years old, looked to be mildly retarded. He made strange noises for attention whenever it was too quite.  
"You kids play down there? By the creek?" Alex asked. "Anyone bother you? Or come talk to you?"

"Sometimes people come by." Becky shrugged.

"People?" Romero repeated. "People like who?"

Becky looked out the window and said nothing. Alex was reminded of how Helen was as a moody, troubled teenager. It was an endless cycle.

"Men sometimes come and watch us." Jessica pipped up helpfully.  
"Did someone talk to Billy?" Alex asked and turned his focus on the only really helpful member of the family.

Jessica nodded and Becky reached out and slapped her face.

~ "I got nothing from the kids or the mother." Alex sighed when he and Washington were out on the covered porch of the motel. It was still raining heavily and the sky looked far too dark to only be mid afternoon. It felt like the end of the world with all this rain.

"Mother reported him missing at 11:30 this morning." Washington explained. "Couldn't give me a strait answer to how long the kid has been gone. She's tweeking right now, Sheriff. Maybe when she comes down, she'll be better able to answer our questions."

"Not likely." Romero said darkly.

Once Helen Westwood started going through withdrawals, she wouldn't even remember or care that she had children.

"Call social services." he ordered at last. "Get the kids into separate emergency foster homes. Someone has told them not to talk to us. Once they're separated, they'll say something."

"It's going to be hard to get that done, Sheriff." Washington said wearily. "Four different placements in less than a few hours? We'll have to reach out to the next county."

"Then reach." Romero said coldly. "Gemma Harper was the last child kidnapped and she was found dead a few days later. After what happened before, we can't be too careful. I want this missing boy to be our top priority."

"Sheriff?" Washington said cautiously.  
"What?"

His deputy looked away and then shrugged.  
"It's just, well, the last case of child kidnapping was your step son Norman Bates." he reminded him.  
Alex froze and had to remind himself that that fact was certainly true.

"Well, hopefully Billy will be alright to." Romero said. "I'm going to call judge Mathis and have him grant permission to search all the empty houses."

"I'm sure the Mayor will be glad his new law is helping find a missing child." Washington said.

Alex grumbled to himself. George had pushed through an unheard of law that, in the wake of Norma and Norman's kidnapping, allowed law enforcement to enter any unoccupied home or building without a warrant to see if the child was being kept there. It would be highly useful for it's intended purpose, but the Sheriff could see the potential for abuse.

"The boy's mother and sister isn't able to give us much to go on. The rain is washing away any evidence. That creek will be a river with this downpour." Romero said soberly.

Deep down, he knew they wouldn't find Billy Westwood alive. Just like he knew they wouldn't find Gemma Harper alive either.


	121. Chapter 121

121.

~ "What kind of mother doesn't even know her child is missing from his bed?" A seasoned deputy barked to Romero and the group of deputies surrounding the conference table.  
"A mother who lets her kids live in a motel room." Deputy White said sourly.  
"Easy, man." Washington interrupted. "Not for us to judge their living situation."

"Sure it is." White huffed. "That woman puts her kids in danger every second of the day. She's been allowed to do this for years. I'm just shocked something like this hasn't happened sooner."

There was a rumble of agreement in the room and Alex felt somehow responsible for Billy's disappearance. If he had wanted to, he could have easily provided Sybil with an arrest of the local sex worker and thus saved her children from the life.

But he didn't. Wilson hadn't either, but that was no excuse. The plan of not rocking the boat went out the window a long time ago. Especially with Rebecca's arrest and all the big names in the drug trade going down with her.

"We can point fingers later." Romero said soberly. "There's plenty of blame to go around, some of it will be on this department if things go south."

The deputies were silent at this news. All of them focusing their attention on the Sheriff.

Alex took a deep breath and let it out.  
"Billy Westwood. Was last seen playing with his siblings around the creek behind the motel sometime yesterday afternoon. According to his mother, he wasn't in his bed late this morning when she checked on the other children. The mother isn't very helpful with our timeline. She appears to let her oldest daughter Becky look after the children when she's working. Becky Westwood is being very uncooperative right now. Which is why I've had special victims bring her in for questioning. Hopefully she'll provide them with more information." Romero said.

"Do we think the oldest daughter had anything to do with the boy's disappearance?" White asked.

"We don't know." Romero said. "With this rain, the creek is useless as a crime scene.

"What about the boy's father? Could this be just a custody issue?" Deputy Alisha Perez asked.

There was a mild dust up of laughter in the conference room. Deputy Alisha Perez, always happy to see Sheriff Romero and ask him how his day was obviously didn't know about Helen and her life style.  
"Deputy, maybe you could talk to the mother." Romero said to her calmly. "If she has an idea about the boy's paternity, that could help."

Deputy Perez gave Romero her warm smile and nodded before leaving. The Sheriff noticed White was checking out her ass as she left.

"You really think Helen knows who the father is?" White snorted when Perez was gone.  
"It's not you, is it?" Romero demanded harshly.

There was feel of barely contained laughter when Deputy White's face fell at the question.

"No, Sheriff." White said calmly. "It's not me."

"Have the city caretakers called us back on the empty properties?" Alex asked the room in general. "I want to tell the mayor we used his new law to look for a missing kid. I'm sure it will make him feel good."

"Nothing yet." Deputy Allen said helpfully. Another female deputy who was far too eager to spend all her free time at the station. It made Alex uncomfortable when Perez and Allen were always finding excuses to talk to him or be helpful. Non of his male deputies did that, which was how Romero preferred it.

"Call the caretakers and get an update." the Sheriff ordered. "Don't bother me until we know those properties are clear."

Allen nodded and scurried out of the room.  
"Now, when Special Victims is done talking to Becky and the other children separately, I want to establish a grid of last known locations and favorite places for this child to go. I've already got a unit around the boys school and the motel. Any suggestions?"

"There's a playground about a mile from the motel." Washington pointed out.

Romero nodded and placed a red pin on the city map.  
"What do we know about the mother's associates? Maybe the boy is with one of her friends?" White offered.

"Good idea." Alex agreed. "Start looking into known associates, White. Men who were arrested with her. Ex boyfriends. I know there are a lot of them."

"I think Helen Westwood hangs out with Mona Lewis." another deputy said. "We stopped both of them a while back for possession."  
"Were they arrested?" Alex asked.  
"No, sir." the deputy said. "Wilson's orders."

Alex let out a frustrated breath.  
"Alright, we work the grid and when the children have been interviewed we work any new leads. It's raining heavily outside so I want everyone to be careful. Hopefully, Billy is just staying at a friends house overnight and his mother forgot." Romero told the room.

"You really think so, Sheriff?" White asked with his typical pessimism.

Romero gave his deputy a sour look and White looked away.

"Has Sybil Lawson called us back yet?" Alex turned to Washington. His first deputy shook his head.  
"No, sir." he said. "Her office said she took a personal day yesterday, but she's not answering her home phone either."

"Sybil is the only one in town who has a complete record of the family." Alex grumbled. "We need that information. If there is a custody dispute, we need to know."

"Yes, Sheriff." Washington agreed.

"Are the schools being let out early because of the rain?"

"Yes, sir."  
"I'll need someone to go to the daycare and elementary to pick my boys up." Romero said as the meeting let out and Washington followed him down the hall.

"Was just about to go myself." his right hand man said.  
"Good. Pick up Norman and Dylan and take them to the farm. Don't tell Norma anything but ask Dylan if he knows Billy. The two of them are the same age, but be casual about it. I'd like to keep the panic down to a minimum." Romero said.  
"The Westwood family didn't lead a simple life, Sheriff. There has to be hundreds of men that those children were exposed to." Washington admitted.

"I'm just as guilty as Tom was for letting it continue." Romero sighed. "Tell Clarice to call me the second she gets ahold of Sybil."

"I will." Washington said.

He and Romero were about to part company when his deputy stopped him.

"The lack of information or timeline. All the bad people his mother was involved with… this could be bad, Sheriff." Washington said soberly.

"We can't hope for the worst." Romero told him. "It's all about attitude right now."

Washington nodded and Alex ducked into his office. It was like he needed a fix before he could function again. His hands fumbling over the phone and dialing home. Norma picked up on the second ring.  
"How many baby teeth has Dylan lost already?" Alex asked hotly.  
"Darling, you have to stop with these sexy phone conversations in the middle of the day. You're an elected official." Norma said with a dry tone.  
"Seriously." Alex said.  
"He's lot all but four." she said easily.

"You know his birthday, right?"

"Of course I do. I was there. It's September 10th. I went into labor during a football game and John wouldn't take me to the hospital till the game was over. It's why I hate sports so much now." she said curtly.

"Norman's birthday?" Alex asked.

"August the 13th." she said. "He was born on Friday the 13th. Lucky I didn't believe in that kind of thing."

"Would you know if the boys weren't in their beds all night?" he asked.  
"Yes. I've actually injected them with little tracking devices so I always know where they are." she said.

"No really." Alex demanded.

"I injected you to, Sheriff." she laughed. "I know you're in your office right now."

"That's just guessing." he accused. "Where else would I be calling you from?"

"Believe what you want, Sheriff." she said.

There was a stretch of silence between them.  
"Alex what happened?" she asked at last. She was willing to listen to anything he had to say right now.  
"Nothing too serious, Mrs. Romero." he sighed. He wasn't about to upset his pregnant wife. "I just… um… I needed to hear the voice of a good mother right now. Remind me that there are still good ones out there."

"Oh." Norma said and Alex could tell she was smiling. "I'm glad you think I'm a good mother. Sometimes it doesn't feel like I am."

"After what I saw today, you're mother of the year." he said darkly.

"That bad?"  
"That bad."

"Well, the radio said the schools were being let out early because of the storm." Norma told him calmly.  
"Yeah, I'm having Washington pick the boys up and take them home." Alex said quickly.  
"Are you going to be working late?" she asked. Her voice slightly concerned and irritated.  
"Hazards of marrying a Sheriff, Mrs. Romero." he sighed.  
"I want you to take care of yourself." she ordered.

"I will."

"No junk food, Alex."

"I won't."

"Not too much coffee either." she said.  
"Norma, I'm a cop."

"I don't care." she said. "I need you to be able to sleep when you come home."

"Yes, Ma'am." he said feeling happy she had scolded him.

"Then you and I are going to have a long debate about how to decorate the nursery." she said.  
"I was thinking Michael's room would be decorated with flaming skulls and Charlotte's room would have Bigfoot the monster truck crushing cars." he said.

"Cute." she snarled. "The twins will have something to look at as they wonder why mommy had to kill daddy."

Alex felt his breath catch slightly. It hit him all of the sudden. Like being struck by a train. He was going to be a daddy. Not just a step-father like he was to Dylan and Norman. The babies would always call him daddy. They would belong to him forever. They would look like him, his name would be on their birth certificate. The babies would have his last name, his history, his blood and his family roots.

"Alex?" Norma asked.

"Yeah, I'm here." he said feeling numb and like the world was still spinning.  
"I didn't mean it when I said I'd kill you." she said casually. "I mean, I sort of meant it because I'm cranky and I've been stuck in bed all day."

"Make sure you stay in bed." he ordered.

"I will Sheriff." she promised. "Thanks for making sure the boys get home."

"Always glad to be of service, Mrs. Romero." he said and told her goodbye.


	122. Chapter 122

122.

~ Sheriff Romero looked at Helen Westwood with a glum, disappointed expression. He wasn't sure how to begin, how to talk to this woman who was so far beyond saving now. The two of them sat across from each other in the interrogation room. A table between them, although they'd always been worlds apart anyway.

Helen, her part in this most recent development, was printed on the arrest record not an hour old. Her response to Romero's silence and judgment was to roll her eyes. The dollar store mascara had already started to run and gave her a raccoon look. The rain washing away most of her makeup that evening and Alex could see the serious skin sores on her face. The premature wrinkles and spots that healthy women her age just didn't have.

Not that Helen seemed to care.  
"What?" she snapped at last. Her voice irritated and annoyed that Sheriff Romero had her in the interrogation room and was refusing to say anything.

Alex's voice was soft when he spoke to the mother of the missing boy. Whether or not he approved of this woman's life style wasn't the point. Her son was still missing and it was his job to find him.  
"We don't have any leads on Billy." he said plainly.  
"Well." Helen said in a huff. Clearly she blamed the entire world for her son being missing. Everyone except herself of course. With people like Helen, Alex knew, they could never accept responsibility for their own lives. It was always someone else's fault. Always. "You probably haven't been looking too hard for him have you? I mean, it's not like it was your kid, Sheriff. I remember your step-son was found pretty easily. The FBI got involved and everything. Why isn't the FBI involved with looking for my kid?"

Romero wasn't going to be pulled into this discussion. He shook his head and leaned away from her.  
"I'll tell you why." Helen said with a slight sob. Her ugly face and rotting teeth twisting into a mask of anger and barely held back sadness. "Because no one cares about us. We're not important. Never have been."

"Helen, your son has been missing less than twenty-four hours." Romero said calmly. "Less than twenty-four hours missing and you were just arrested for solicitation. You're out looking for Johns with your son missing."

He felt sickness move inside of him that had nothing to do with eating from the vending machine for lunch. Helen disgusted him. How her body was available for rent to literally anyone who could pay cash. How she thought so little of herself that she sold her flesh to strangers and men she knew without a second thought.

"You think I don't know my kid is missing?" Helen said and rolled her head back as if she'd been called to the office for cutting class. Her entire mentality, her emotional growth, seemed to have halted in her mid teens.

"Why aren't you looking for him?" she demanded. "Why are you wasting time arresting me?"

"We are keeping a watch over the motel and deputy Perez saw you at work, Miss. Westwood." Alex snapped. "She saw you pick up three dates in less than two hours. She couldn't overlook it. Especially with your son missing. It makes us think you're not concerned about him. It makes us think you've done something to him."

"You think I hurt my little boy?" Helen said angrily. "I love my son. I wouldn't hurt him. You don't know us, Sheriff. You think we're just trash, don't you?"

Romero leaned away from her. The fact was he did think Helen was trash. Her and her pack of fatherless offspring. It was one thing to have nothing and build yourself up, but this woman had nothing and was perfectly happy being nothing for the rest of her life. She was fine with keeping her kids in the filth with her to.

"Special Victims talked to your girls." he said.  
"My girls are fine." Helen snapped. "They're just fine, they will be fine."

"I never said anything about them being fine or not." Romero told her knowingly. In fact, he'd already suspected why Helen looked so guilty and ready to avoid eye contact.

"We're still looking for you boy, Helen." Romero said at last. "If you have more information, now is the time to tell us."

Helen scratched the back of her head.  
"I… I don't know anything." she said weakly.

Romero nodded and stood up.

"Miss. Westwood, the judge will see you tomorrow morning. I can't promise you'll receive bail. This is your third arrest for prostitution in the past five years." he said before leaving.

Helen started crying and screeching at him. Her hands banging on the table in a fury of profanities against him, his family and White Pine Bay.

~ Detective Andrea Guard could have been a former beauty queen as a teenager. Maybe she was, Alex wasn't sure, but at forty-five, she still possessed a stunning figure, bright healthy skin and a charming smile. It was a little hard to believe a woman this attractive had chosen her life's work to be the sickening world of child victims, rape and incest.

Her partner, a Detective David Crown, fit the bill of law enforcement perfectly. He could never work undercover because he had too much alpha-male cop seemingly hardwired in to him. The way he stood, walked and spoke were with such confidence he could only have been in the military for most of his young adulthood. From his closely cropped haircut to the faded tattoos of the Marine insignia on his forearms, Crown wasn't the one who played good cop. Romero liked him right away, although he had no doubt that Crown and Gard were far more than just work related partners. Both of them were committed to the job and seemingly all to willing to spend time together and not with their respected loved ones at home. If there were loved ones at home that is.

The two detectives were specialists who'd driven in from Portland to interview the Westwood children and what they told Sheriff Romero came as no surprise. As much as he liked both Guard and Crown, he didn't like the accusations they freely fired at him.  
"Did you know Becky and Tammy were being raped by their mother's clients?" Crown demanded. His arms folded over his chest while Romero sat at his office chair and tried to remain calm.

"No, this is the first I'm hearing about it." Alex said honestly. "Is that what they told you?"

"Yes." Guard said calmly. She was well schooled in her role as 'Good Cop' and she was playing the role very well. "It seems their mother approved."

"Their mother was just arrested for solicitation tonight." Alex admitted.

"How long has this department known about this woman and her children?" Crown asked.

"Awhile." Alex admitted. "But there was never enough evidence to take the kids away and the judge refused to separate a mother from her children."

"Well, now some pervert has done it for them." Crown huffed.

"Becky and the other two girls have been repeatedly exposed to sexual abuse for the past year, Sheriff." Guard said in her soothing voice that never showed anything but mercy and understanding. "We have their statements and, in my professional opinion, I think they are telling the truth. Sexual assault on a child has it's own language and these children can speak it."

Alex remembered when Shelby had hurt Dylan. How Wilson had made the boy speak aloud what had happened and had never encouraged anything other than the child's own words.

"This is part of why we called you in here." Romero said at last. "The girls refused to talk to us. There was no indication from their teachers that this was happening either."

"Where is their social worker?" Guard asked. "Miss. Sybil Lawson."

"Our department has not been able to get into contact with her." Alex said. "She's elderly and I've already had a deputy go to her home. Her car's gone. She might have been out of town when the storm hit and had to stay at a motel or something."

"She's dealt with this family for a few years?" Guard asked. "Has tried to get the court to take the children away on several occasions."

"That's right." Alex agreed.  
"When she does check in, we need to speak with her." Guard said.  
"Anything at all on Billy?" Romero said leaning over his desk to meet Guard and Crown in the eyes.

The two attractive detectives exchanged looks that spoke volumes.  
"Nothing." Guard said. "Seems they were playing and he just vanished."

"Just vanished?" Romero barked. "What time? I called you here to talk to these kids. How am I supposed to find out what happened to Billy Westwood if I don't have anything to go on?"

"The last place Becky said she saw her brother was at the creek. She gave him some change to get everyone a soda at the store down the street and that was the last she saw him."

"Tony's shop?" Alex asked. "Anyone could have taken him from there. It's on the highway."

"We know." Guard said sadly. "It's very likely a driver grabbed him. Becky seems to think her brother vanished around noon the day before yesterday."

Alex stood up and almost knocked his chair down. He had to tell himself to count to ten, but only got to number five before speaking.  
"He's been missing more than forty-eight hours now?" he asked in a dangerous whisper. "You know what the odds are on recovering a child who's been missing that long?"

"We do." Guard told him. "We can start with the local sex offenders in town, especially ones who visited Helen Westwood often. Work out way outward. It's most likely someone took the boy off the highway while he was walking, but it's possible they live nearby."

Romero nodded. He was having a hard time thinking. He knew then, as if it was a fact, Billy Westwood was already dead. He'd been picked up by someone, most likely molested or worse and his poor, broken body was already dumped somewhere no one would find it.

Helen was right. No one would care about her kids. She certainly didn't. In a year or two, everyone would forget about Billy. Like he never existed at all. His life didn't matter.

~ Norma was watching an old movie with Rocky and Apollo curled up by her feet which weren't swollen anymore. They'd kept her company all day during the storm and Alex's absence. At first she was strongly opposed to having them on her bed, but they both looked at her so pleadingly. Their eyes the same color as Alex's, that she had to let them stay.

They had proven to be good company for her. They watched the soap operas with her and the gruesome talk shows that Norma found highly amusing. All the while laying by her feet and not caring about her taste in TV.

When their ears perked up, and they became very attentive, she knew Alex must be home.  
"Go!" she hissed at the dogs who were quick to scamper off the bed and sneak out of the bedroom. "Go on. Laundry room. Don't let the Sheriff see you!"

The front door banged shut and she heard her husband's heavy footfalls on the wood floors. He'd been gone for more than a day now and she was relived to see him at last. Even if he did need a hot shower and a shave.  
"Alex!" she sighed in relief when he came through the door.  
"How have you been?" he asked and kissed her sweetly before almost collapsing on the bed beside her.  
"I'm good. The girls at work came by after Washington dropped the boys off and helped make a few casseroles for us. I stayed in bed and watched really bad TV." she told him.

"That's good. Bad TV is awesome." he sighed. 'The boys okay?"

"They're fine. Worried about you."

"How are the babies?"

"Alex, what happened?" she asked. She'd found his hand and started lazily playing with his fingers. She hoped he would be too tired to notice the dog hair on the bed.  
"This town... I don't think it can be saved, Norma." he said sadly. "It's too far gone. It's like it wants to be like this. It wants to belong to these… horrible things."

"That's not true." Norma told him as soothingly as she knew how. "Alex, it's just a bad day. Just a bad day and tomorrow, after you've had a good night's sleep, you'll see it's going to be alright."

"I think we should move." he said suddenly.

"What?"

"We could sell the farm and move to the midwest. I hear Montana's nice."

"Alex, this is your family home." she said sternly. "We both agreed we wanted the boys and the babies to grow up here. Four generations of your family would have been raised here. That's not something you just sell off."

"The town has changed, Norma." he said.  
"Well, then we can change it right back."

He shook his head.

"Tell me what happened."

"I don't want to worry you." he said stubbornly.  
"Alex, I know you weren't rescuing kittens from trees. Tell me."

Romero steeled himself and tried not to be angry at life.

"Another child has gone missing. A boy around Dylan's age. His mother could care less. He'd been gone for hours longer than we thought. He's most likely been taken by someone off the highway. Maybe someone who was a client to the child's mother. She's the town hooker who lives at the motel. Drug addict and she's pimping out her kids now." Alex said in a sober, unflinching voice. "The other kids were being abused by the men the mother entertained. We should have put a stop to it, Tom and I, years ago. We didn't. We didn't want to rock the boat. Upset the order of things. Now a child is missing. Again. And the other children have been hurt because we didn't do our jobs."

He looked at his wife at last and Norma was reminded of the two dogs pleading to stay in the bed with her. Alex had the same sad brown eyes.

"It just… I keep thinking I can make the bad things better." he admitted at last.

Norma still had his hand clasped in hers and when the moment was right, she took his other hand. She carefully positioned his palms over her belly.

Charlotte kicked first of course, then Michael gave off his own little movement in response. Alex looked at her in wonderment. It was the first time, with her diagnosis, that he'd felt the babies move before. She knew he was scared that she'd felt no movement when she should have.  
"I think the bed rest and the medication is working." she whispered. "These two have been fighting all evening. They're defiantly our kids, Sheriff. I'm glad you're home so you can give them a talking to."

The look on her husbands face wasn't one that said a scolding was eminent. Instead he had an expression of pure joy and disbelief.

"I can feel them." he said.  
"Yeah, I can feel them to." she laughed. "That's my point."

"Norma." he breathed in delight. All his cares and troubles seemed to vanish like smoke.

 **To my ladies on Team Unicorn, Guard and Crown are meant to be your Law and Order SVU, OTP. Never trust a woman who watches a lot of crime drama. They always know how to dispose of the body and get away with it.**


	123. Chapter 123

123.

~ "Sybil, where the hell have you been?" Romero tried to sound curt and business like, but when talking to the woman who'd been in his life since the day he was born, he found himself being reprimanded by her instead.  
"If you must know, Little Bear, I was taking a personal day. It's the weekend isn't it? I'm not allowed to take time off and see a gentleman friend?" she said and took a seat in one of the chairs by his desk.

Alex rolled his eyes at the idea Sybil still dated.  
"Well, we needed you here." he said awkwardly.

"I heard. A very handsome former Marine came by my house this morning asking about Billy Westwood." she said calmly. "You know I always liked the Marines. That detective Crown showed me the tattoo he'd gotten in Japan when he was stationed there. During the war, the Marines were the guys all the girls wanted. Like picking the meanest dog in the pack and trying to tame it. Detective Crown thought that was very funny." she said dreamily.

"Sybil." Alex interrupted. "Billy Westwood is missing."

"I know."

"His mother has been arrested."

"I know."

"The other children are in foster care."

"I know that to."

Alex couldn't believe Sybil's attitude right now. She had always been so adamant about the welfare of the Westwood children. The old woman shrugged when Alex took the chair opposite her. He stared at her in disbelief.  
"It's probably for the best that the children are in foster care." she said finally. "No judge in this county would listen to me before now."

Alex couldn't think of anything to say. Sybil seemed so unlike herself. Like she didn't care at all that the boy was missing.

"Are there any leads?" she asked.

"No." Alex told her gently. "It was over twenty-four hours before he was even reported missing. Trail's gone cold by now. It's highly unlikely he'll be found alive."

"I was told his mother went right back to hooking not longer after she reported him gone." Sybil said sourly. "You know better than anyone how hard I worked to keep Helen away from that life. She chose to be what she is. I had hopes her children would at least have a choice of something else."

Alex was quiet. He watched Sybil's body language. The older woman not meeting his eyes while she fumbled around in her purse for tissues and cigarettes. It struck him then she was nervous. Maybe she was hiding something.

"I've already given that handsome Marine, detective Crown, all my notes and files on the Westwoods. It's my biggest file. Reams of paper. Took up six file boxes in my office. I've heard Helen is already signed over her rights to the little ones." she said.

Alex nodded.

"They'll be eligible for adoption in a few months." he said. His tone calm and collected. He watched Sybil's hands. How they shook.  
"Long time coming." she admitted and took out a cigarette. She didn't light it, just held it in her mouth for a while.  
"Sybil." he said carefully. "If you know what happened to Billy, you need to tell me now. Did you see him walking down the highway? Maybe you picked him up and took him somewhere? I know you like to bend the rules."

"Little Bear, I did nothing to that child." Sybil said with such a hard tone that Alex had to lean away. He saw there was fire in the old woman's eyes as she started to breathe heavily. "I'm just… I'm upset. That's all. He's most likely dead, Alex. A child is dead. I couldn't save him and I tried for years. I'm sad about it. It's frustrating to work for so long and have it end like this."

Alex could hardly believe what he saw next. Sybil was crying. Real tears now, not just becoming slightly emotional.  
"I'm sorry, Sybil." he said.  
"I wish I had taken him." the older woman barked. "Taken him and the rest of those poor kids. Their mother wouldn't even notice till her aide checks stopped coming."

She looked away from him and he saw her unlit cigarette was in her hand now. She was shaking back and fourth.  
"When I was about Dylan's age, long time ago now, a little girl went missing. Violet Hews. She was a school mate of mine, very pretty girl. There was a big rainstorm and everyone thought she'd been playing by the creek by her house when it hit. They thought the waters must have come up too fast and taken her away. People looked for her for days. My father was one of them. They didn't find a thing." she sighed. "No body was ever found."

Alex leaned his head on his hand slightly. He had seen pictures of Sybil as a child. A little girl of eight just before the Great War ended. A girl with a horrible haircut and big puffy bow attached to the side of her head. A child belonging to another era, but still a living person today. Sybil had the same expression as a little girl that she did as an old woman.

"A few years went by and we all forgot about Violet. Life goes on. Then, one spring, Jetson Hews barn caught fire. After it was put out, the workers heard knocking and screaming in the basement of the farm house. They found Violet there. No one recognized her because when she went into that basement she was just a young girl. Jetson and his wife had kept her in that place all that time. Set her up with a bedroom and bathroom to so she wouldn't ever have to leave. They just kept her down there and no one knew or suspected a thing. She hadn't seen daylight in years and you can only guess the horrors she had to endure. They didn't have the same testes back then that they do now. A doctor examined her of course, but that was it. I'm sure it was suspected she was abused by her father. We never found out why Jetson did such a thing. Put his daughter down in that basement for so many years and claimed she was missing. When Sheriff Anderson came to arrest him, Jetson Hews shot himself rather than be taken in. His wife Dina Hews had died the winter before and there was only Violet left."

Alex watched Sybil slowly drop her defenses. Allowing him to see for the first time who she really was.

"My father thought it was for the best if we send Violet to California. Where the sun shone everyday and the water was warm. We gave her money and even sent her a support check once a month. My father enrolled her in a very nice girls school so she would have a chance." Sybil went on.

"Where is Violet now?" Alex asked.  
"Where all my other school mates are, Little Bear. Dead." Sybil said in a sharp tone. Her eyes once more flickering with fire.

The old woman put her unlit cigarette back in her purse and smooth her skirt down.

"She was twenty when she got into her husband's car and drove into oncoming traffic. It seems she'd never been right after what happened. I learned a long time after she'd had to go to a sanitarium for a while. It's what we called a mental hospital back then. I was at Berkley when I found out she'd killed herself. I told my father I wanted to help children. That what had happened to Violet, could never happen again. He thought it was a noble goal and I was fierce enough to win that battle. So I devoted my life's work to helping the helpless of this community. Of making sure that kind of thing never happened again. Then it happened again. The Flowers children were killed by their insane mother. That bad business with the Brennen boys being beaten to death by their father. Then the March family was shot while they slept by their own son. Then, with that awful Summer's woman and what she did to those poor babies. Now, with the Westwood children."

The older woman looked at Alex curiously. Tears were rimming her eyes again.

"So you see, Little Bear." she said. "This isn't the first time."

 **Sorry for the short chapter and the late post. Busy girl. Don't worry, Sybil will be spilling some BIG secrets very soon.**


	124. Chapter 124

124.

~ Norma was having a hard time keeping optimistic with all the rain and being bedridden until the babies arrived. It didn't help her foul mood that her husband was too busy with work to come home at a reasonable hour, her two boys needed their laundry done, and so far, they hadn't been able to find anyone suitable to come and help.

Last night, after Alex innocently put dish soap in the dishwasher, Norma decided she'd had enough bedrest. Her feet weren't swollen anymore and the babies were moving regularly. Alex had been livid with trying to get her back in bed and off her feet. Maybe it was because he didn't want her to see the pile of dirty laundry that had accumulated in just a few days of her being off wife/mom duty.

"Alex, you can't let it just pile up like this." Norma scolded while he practically forced marched her back to bed.  
"I'll start a load tonight." he promised hastily.

"Tonight? It's already past 8 o'clock. You need to start a load as soon as you get home. Alex, I normally do five loads of laundry a day." she told him.

The very idea of the boys not having clean clothes made Norma anxious.

"Norma, I've been busy with work." Alex sighed.

"I know." she agreed. "Any leads on the little boy?"

"None." he admitted. "Sybil came in today. She'd been out of town all week. I think the stress of the job is finally getting to her. She seemed a little worn out."

"Well, she is almost ninety." Norma pointed out. "I hope I have half her energy if I live that long."

"I'm sure you will." he said. "Women like you two live forever."

Norma felt Charlotte kick her slightly and winced at the slight discomfort. Alex's hand was over her belly, desperate as always, to feel for life. It was his way, ever since he first felt them, to know they were alright.

"I never really thought about it till Sybil brought it up." he said. "There have been a lot of missing and abused kids in this town."

Norma said nothing. She knew it was Alex's turn to talk just now.  
"Sybil told me about this girl who was locked in a basement for years. It happened just after the first world war, but it was still awful. She was Dylan's age."

Alex took Norma's hand and started to play with her fingers.

"Then the Flowers children." he sighed. "During the second world war. The father had been killed in action and the mother slit the kids throat and arranged them all in bed. She was totally insane. She was found wandering in the woods. Said she did to because she couldn't afford to feed them."

"Alex." Norma said calmly.  
"I remember hearing about that. Mrs. Flowers was locked up in Portland. How she laid out her children on one bed. Blood everywhere." he went on.  
"Alex."

"Then the March family. The oldest son was only fifteen when he shot up his parents and his siblings while they slept. All because he thought his mother was having an affair." Alex sighed in disbelief.

"Alex."

"And I knew Brian Summers." he said weakly. "I knew him and I still can't believe what happened to him."

"Sheriff."

He looked back at his wife who seemed calm and collected.

"Sheriff, nothing like that is going to happen to us." she said knowingly. "We're not those people. Our story isn't meant to be so tragic."

"I know." he tried to say.  
"You think for a moment I would hurt the kids?" she laughed. "I might emotionally scar them sure. I'm the mother, it's what I do. But I would never hurt them or allow anyone else to hurt them."

"I… I know." he whispered.  
"And we're not the kind of people who's kids go crazy and kill us. Dylan and Norman? They would never hurt me or you. You know that, right?"

Alex nodded.

"It's just a lot on my mind right now. I don't want to admit that Billy Westwood is dead. Everyone is so willing to accept it. I can't help but also feel responsible. If I'd had Helen arrested earlier, if Sybil had been able to get the kids removed…"

"We can't think like that Sheriff." she told him. "We can't live with our lives like that."

She saw his face still looked sad and child like. Like he was still searching for answers and comfort.

Norma couldn't help but smile. She leaned into him and kissed his cheek.  
"Alex, were going to be a family. That's all that matters." she told him.

Her husband was seemed comforted, but his thoughts were still with Billy Westwood.

"I'll go start the laundry." he said and left her in bed.

~ Sybil showed up to the house and, as usual, let herself in.

"I see the boys have taken over." she said when she found Norma still prisoned in bed. Rocky and Apollo nestled on either side of their mistress.  
"Some guard dogs they are." the older woman nodded to them.

"They keep me company." Norma admitted. "And yes, the boys have trashed my house."

"Well, I'm here." Sybil told her. "I'll start the laundry."

~ In just an hour, Sybil had the house in more or less working order again. She'd assigned Norma the task of sorting dirty clothes and folding. A chore she could do from bed and without disturbing the babies or the dogs.  
"Little Bear tells me the twins are kicking." Sybil said while the two women were folding.  
"Yes." Norma said happily. "With all this mess happening with Billy Westwood, I'm glad he had something good."

"Yes." Sybil nodded.  
"Alex thinks you're getting worn out. Is everything okay?" Norma asked. Now that she had a chance to look at the older woman, she did notice that Sybil looked a little grayer than normal.

"Oh everything's fine, dear." the older woman said casually. "I'm just dying is all."

"What?" Norma gasped. Her hand going to her belly as if protecting the babies from the idea of death.

"We're all dying." Sybil shrugged. "I'm just apt to do it a little sooner than the rest of you."

"What happened?" Norma practically started crying.

Sybil folded a towel and was silent for a few moments.

"I was at the hospital in Portland this past weekend. They were running a lot of tests." she explained. "It seems my heart is just ready to give out. If it wasn't for the damn body, I'm sure I'd live forever."

"The smoking." Norma accused.

Sybil looked annoyed.

"I've been smoking everyday since I was fifteen." she admitted. "Smokings not what will kill me. Although I was told to stop. Hopefully lengthen whatever time I have left."

"How… how long do you have?" Norma asked. She felt like she might start crying. Sybil ha always felt like a grandmother to her. A real one, who was always there when she needed her. She liked to imagine how different her life would have been if Sybil had found her as a child. If Sybil had intervened and saved her.

"Not too much longer." Sybil said softly. It was like she was admitting defeat. "This fancy doctor from England seems to think it will be a few weeks. I've already taken a leave from work. Going to devote what time I have left to helping you and Alex. Settle my final affairs."

"A few weeks?" Norma gasped.

"It's alright, dear." Sybil told her soothingly. "Most people don't know when their time will come. I have some idea. I'm very lucky. I'll have enough time to settle everything properly and not leave any more work for you and Little Bear than I need to."

She looked longingly at Norma's belly.  
"I just wish I could stick around long enough to see these two." she said. "But, I'm very pleased they are on their way. There was a time when I wasn't sure you and Little Bear would make it long enough to get married and have babies. He's so damn stubborn."

Norma felt ready to cry. Charlotte and Michael were moving again. Most likely sensing their mother's distress.

"I'm very happy you're going to take care of Alex for me." Sybil said and went back to folding laundry. When she finished folding one of Norman's shirts, she sat down on the bed next to Norma.  
"There's somethings you need to know, but you have to promise never to tell Little Bear until after I'm gone. I would prefer it if you didn't tell him anything about me dying. He's the type to take death very hard." the older woman said.

"What is it?" Norma asked.

Sybil took a deep breath and fiddled with her hands. Norma could tell she wanted to smoke, but couldn't.  
"Billy Westwood is fine." she said at last.

Norma felt she didn't hear right.  
"What?"

"Billy Westwood isn't missing. I picked him up on the side of the road and took him to Portland with me. I have a contact there who works for the government. He was able to… we reimagined the child's birth certificate and records. We had a couple in Florida who wanted to adopt. Billy Westwood was sent to them a few days ago. His name was changed to Bobby and my contact says he's acclimated very well to his new home. Hasn't even asked about his old family." Sybil shrugged.  
"What, Sybil I don't understand." Norma gasped. "You… you **kidnaped** him?"

"I did what I had to do." Sybil said calmly. "More than fifteen years I've been trying to get some intervention on the Westwoods and nothing. If Billy went missing, if a child went missing, the authorities would have to step up. The mother is now in jail the kids are going to be adopted. It's not perfect, but everyone is safe and has a chance."

Norma wasn't sure what to say. This couldn't be real. This had to be a joke.  
"Fingerprints… social security numbers… eventually those things will come up." she whispered.

"I was their social worker since before the kids were born. I modified all the records for Billy a few months ago when we set this plan into motion. My contact took care of the rest. New birth certificate, adoption records, his old fingerprints were replaced in my file. If anyone catches on, I'll already be dead. No one will ever find Billy Westwood, Norma. I don't even know exactly where he is or what his new last name is. It protects everyone this way."

"What… how… I don't understand how you could have done this." Norma said in disbelief.

"Because…" Sybil said with difficulty. "This isn't the first time. Billy isn't the first baby I've stolen."

"What do you mean?" Norma asked.

Sybil looked at her hands. The older woman looked especially frightened and remorseful.  
"If I had know how it would turn out, I wouldn't have done it. I thought they were good people. They were god people then, but… things change. All they wanted was a baby. It was so heartbreaking to see them suffer all this miscarriages. Then, here was this young girl come into town. Pregnant and alone. I just… I just acted." Sybil confessed.  
"What did you do?" Norma breathed. She felt slightly terrified.  
"Theresa and the Old Bear. They had lost baby after baby. Then, here was this little boy born to a teenage runaway. A perfect baby boy who was so strong and so healthy. I told doctor Bloch what I wanted to do, and he signed the certificate right then and there. We told the poor girl her son had died."

Norma felt her heart beat even faster.  
"Sybil?" she whispered.

The older woman looked ashamed of herself. She had to finish her confession. She had to tell the truth no matter how ugly it was.

"The girl was sad, but she accepted it. I gave her money for a bus ticket back to where she came from. Then, a few days later, Theresa and Sheriff Romero came to pick up their new son. They named him Alexander."

 **Sorry for the late post. Leave reviews so I know what you think!**


	125. Chapter 125

125.

~ Norma was looking over Alex's old baby book. Theresa Romero had very lovingly preserved everything about her baby's first year. She'd recorded a beautiful baby boy in endless pictures and Norma felt her heart ache at the love she must have had for a child she helped steal.

Theresa Romero wanted a baby so badly that she was willing to play along and convince another mother that her child had died. All so that she could take what wasn't hers. It was unforgivable. No matter how, or to who a baby came into the world, Sybil and Doctor Bloch had no rights to take it away from it's mother.

Norma herself hadn't been much different from Alex's real mother. She'd been a pregnant teenager. Something like this could have easily have happened to her. Suddenly she saw Sybil in a very different light. Not as the loving grandmother type, but someone who lied to a girl that her baby had died. Made her believe she had lost her son.

All because someone else wanted that child and because Sybil felt they would be better parents.

The horrible irony in all this was that Theresa and the Old Bear were horrible parents and abusive to their son. Maybe they had loved him perfectly in the beginning, but everything that Norma had heard about them was that that love soon faded before Alex had even started school. Alex had to grow up in a home with an abusive father and a mother who suffered from manic episodes of depression and suicide attempts.

How was that better than being raised by his natural mother?

Norma no longer wished she had met Sybil earlier in her life. What is Sybil just decided to take Dylan away? Just because Norma was a teenager and pregnant with him. She couldn't have made it this far without Dylan. What if she had miscarried him? Or believed she had? The idea of her baby dying was unthinkable. The idea someone she trusted would lie to her about it was unforgivable.

Norma looked over the poor color technology of the early 1970's pictures. Alex was sitting on his mother's lap, his expression hopeful as the Old Bear crouched down next to his wife and stolen son. Norma could see why he was called a bear. The former Sheriff looked very fierce and unkind. Now that Norma looked, she saw no trace of Alex's handsome features in the Old Bear and wondered how anyone could have thought they were related. Theresa was a beautiful woman with long black hair and vivid smile. People must have always assumed Alex inherited her graceful good looks. Yet, now that she examined Theresa's face more closely, she looked nothing like Alex at all. She had a hart shaped face and she appeared to be very tall and willowy. Her arms were very slender and she was extremely pale in all her pictures. The Bear was her total opposite. He was a heavily built man, who also looked to be very tall. He had a round face, pudgy face and lacked the squared jaw Alex had. The Bear also seemed to be the victim of acne in his youth; which left his face heavily pockmarked.

Norma examined the couple, even going so far as to pull out a recent picture of Alex. It was a polaroid she had taken a few months ago. Alex had taken them all out on the bay for one last summer fishing trip. She almost gasped at how different he could look from his so called parents. There seemed to be no similarities at all now that she looked closer. Alex was naturally athletic and trim. Yet, he wasn't overly tall and thin like Theresa. He had the different jaw line and his eyes, Norma always envied those lashes and assumed he'd gotten them from his mother. But no, Theresa had hazel eyes and that Old Bear squinted too much for Norma to make out his eye color. There was nothing about them to lend themselves to being related to Alex.

Rocky and Apollo perked up their ears and Norma waved them off the bed. They learned very early how not to get caught sleeping on the bed all day with their mistress. Just as Rocky's tail was out of sight, the two of them using the back door to escape, Alex came in.  
"Hi, honey!" Norma called out nervously. She gave him her best smile and folded his old baby book on her lap.  
"What are you looking at?" Alex asked with an amused smile. It was a smile that said he was interested and curious about her.  
"You're old baby book." she admitted guiltily. "You were very cute."

"Was?" he teased. "So, not anymore?"

"Nope." she grinned.

Alex kicked off his shoes and climbed into bed with her.  
"I see the house has been picked up. You know I came home early to take care of all that. I don't want you on your feet, Norma." he scolded.  
"For your information, Sheriff, Sybil came by and did the laundry and tidied up. I stayed in bed and folded and sorted." she said.

Alex looked surprised.

"Did she?" he asked.  
"Yeah, we had a nice talk." Norma told him and leafed through the carefully arranged baby book Theresa had made all those years ago. There were even pressed flowers between the pages from when the family went on a picnic.

"What about?" Alex asked and looked contentedly at the photos and his mother's girlish handwriting.

"Nothing too interesting." Norma lied. "She said she's very glad we're together and that the babies are coming."

"Well, I'm glad to." Alex admitted.

He nodded to her growing belly.  
"How are they today?" he asked.  
"They were fighting this afternoon." she told him.

"Fighting?"

"Yes. They are our kids, Alex. Yours and mine. Means they will be fighting all the time but they will still love each other." she said.  
"Good to know." he laughed.

"Alex?"

"Yes, Mrs. Romero?"

"How much do you remember about your early childhood? Before you started school." she asked.

Alex shrugged.  
"Not much." he confessed. "I think I remember my third birthday party. My dad had gotten me these GI Joe party hats and I loved them. I remember the way the table looked, but I might have just seen it in pictures. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious." she said. "Your mom, she and your dad tried for a long time before you were born."

Alex looked suspicious.  
"Yeah, they did." he said slowly. "My mother had a hard time carrying to term. Sometimes I think she never got over the postpartum depression from losing so many."

"There are no pictures of her pregnant with you." Norma pointed out. "No baby shower here."

"I think after all she went through, she didn't want to jinx it." Alex concluded logically. "Maybe, she didn't want to get her hopes up."

Her husband sat up and looked at her questioningly.  
"Norma? Are you worried you're going to have a miscarriage? That it might be something genetic that I passed down?" he asked.  
"No!" Norma said quickly. "Nothing like that. I'm just… I wanted to see what a cute baby you were. That's all."

"Well, I was adorable." Alex said in a grouchy voice. The two of them looking at the family snapshot of Alex and his parents. The Old Bear looking especially mean next to his beautiful wife.  
"Thank God I took after my mother." Alex sighed. "Everyone said so."

"They did?" Norma asked.

"You want me to look like him?" her husband nodded to the Old Bear growling from the picture.  
"Oh, No." Norma laughed. "No, I like you just the way you are."

"That's a first, Mrs. Romero." he smiled.

He looked sadly at his mother.

"The men in my family have always had a knack for marrying attractive women." he said at last.

"Maybe it's because they know how to sweet talk." Norma told him.

She rested her head on his shoulder as they flipped though the old baby book. She could see his adoptive parents loved him. Even if their happiness was brief, it was clear they were very pleased with their son. How after so much loss they finally had their baby. Even if he wasn't theirs. Still, she shouldn't shake how awful it must have been for Alex's real mother. To go all this time thinking her child died.

She felt Alex needed to know the truth, but felt would it only hurt him.

"After losing my mom… my dad going to prison." Alex said. He kissed her cheek and they settled into bed together. "I was worried I'd be a cranky old bachelor forever. You've given me a family again, Norma."

His hands were over her belly again. The babies moving slightly when Norma shifted her weight.

"Thank you." he whispered.

~ Alex was about to go cross eyed from the paperwork that was without end. They were still chasing down cold and useless leads on the missing boy. It had already been too long, and no sightings or any hint of where he might have gone.

Billy Westwood was still an open investigation of course. Even with his mother in lock up for four months. The other children were already in foster homes outside the county. It hadn't been easy, not with Sybil taking the sudden leave of absence from her life's work. Alex, and the rest of White Pine Bay, had no idea how much the old woman did for the community until they had to pick up the slack.

How, at almost 90 years old, she'd gone to city council meetings, ran errands, filled out forms and made visitations everyday was beyond him. Added to that, Sybil ran her entire department of six social workers for the county. She'd done this for decades and everyone seemed at a loss without her fearless leadership.

The old woman seemed very winded and worn down lately. Alex hadn't seen her smoking at all since Billy went missing. She rarely had anything at all to say to him except to ask how Norma and the boys were.

She only wanted to hear good news. That Dylan made the honor roll, that Norman was found sleeping in the laundry room that morning with Rocky and Apollo. How Alex knew Norma was sneaking the dogs into the bedroom while he was at work and thought he didn't know.

"Little Bear, you had a good life here. Didn't you?" Sybil had asked him sadly when he came home and found the older woman was helping Norma with light house work.

"I mean, you've been happy. Right?" she asked.

Alex wasn't sure how to answer that. Life was life and you had to take the bad along with the good.  
"You told me once we're only as happy as we chose to be." he said after some thought.

"Lincoln said that." Sybil snapped curtly. "Doesn't mean it's not true though. What I mean is, would you change anything? If you could?"

"No." he said reassuringly. "I'm happy, Sybil. I've got the boys, a pretty wife who's mean to me, two babies on the way. What more could I want?"

He expected her to laugh, but she looked even sadder.

Alex finally finished his last document of the day. The arrest record from last night. Seemed Jimmy Brennan was pulled over for suspicion of driving under the influence. Deputy White had to arrest him when he couldn't even stand up.

The real shame of it was that his young daughter was in the truck with him. Cody Brennan was Norman's age and had remained calm during the whole ordeal. It seemed she was used to her father acting this way.

One of the social workers had to come and take the girl from the scene.

Alex looked up when there was a knock on his door. Of all the people he didn't want to see, the Mayor was in the top ten.

"Mayor." Romero said and stood up.  
"Call me George, please." the young mayor said awkwardly.

"What can I do for you, George?" Romero asked once his unannounced visitor had the chance to look around the Sheriff's office.

George looked uncomfortable. Clearly he didn't want to be here. It didn't help that Alex had married his former fiancé. The two were expected to work in the same government together.  
"How is Norma?" George said with a next-door neighbor concern. "How are the boys?"  
"Everyone's good, George." Alex said calmly. "Norma's on bed rest. Till the babies arrive."

"Right." George said brightly. "Yeah, I heard you were having twins. It's going to be a handful."

"I'm sure you're right."

"Lucky Norma's so good at that kind of thing."

"Very lucky." Alex agreed soberly.

George was looking around at Alex's office. Probably noticing how it was much bigger than his own.  
"What's going on, George?" Alex asked at last. He was becoming a little annoyed at the do-gooder mayor who was too nice to everyone.

"Sheriff." George sighed and glanced at the framed picture of on Alex's desk. It was from his wedding day. The beautiful picture of the Sheriff, his new bride, Sybil, Charlotte and the boys. All of them looking beautifully captured in a world that could never be again.

"Something serious has happened, Alex." George said at last.


	126. Chapter 126

126.

~ "Why come to me?" Alex barked. "This sounds like you need to call 911. Not visit the Sheriff personally."

"Alex, this is a delicate situation. We need… **discretion**." George said worriedly.

Romero rolled his eyes and tried to think of a compelling reason to say no to Mayor Heldens. He wanted to tell him to get the hell out of his office and call the police like a normal person. Not ask for the Sheriff to get personally involved.

The problem was, George was too nice, too honest and too sensitive.

"So, your younger brother Josh has come back home and he's been making vague threats to you and Christine." Romero summed up George's problem.

"He had been at Pine View for the past few years." George explained. "He was diagnosed with a dissociative disorder. He… it's like he leaves his body. Almost like someone else is there. When he comes back, he has no memory at all of what he's said or done."

"Does your brother drink a lot? Because that sounds like he's just been on a bender." Romero offered.

George looked frustrated.  
"Sheriff, I wouldn't be talking to you like this if it was something as simple as drinking." he said calmly.  
"What is you want to happen, Mayor Helden?" Romero asked.

"Christine and I… we don't want anyone to know about Josh. He's sort of the family secret. So it needs to be as discreet as possible. My brother refuses to go back to Pine View, so I need you to expedite his admittance back there." George said hopefully.  
"Well, I can only do that if he's a danger to himself or others." Romero explained.

George's face fell.

"Mayor, why was your brother released in the first place?" Romero asked. He sensed something was very wrong, but a family like the Heldens, who had so much money and influence, would never admit to scandal. Never claim a brother like Josh.

"He admitted himself when he was nineteen." George explained. "It was complicated, but he went through the proper channels to get himself released against doctor's orders."

"George, is your brother dangerous?" Romero asked the mayor directly.

The Sheriff looked closely at George's face for any tic of shifting of the eyes to indicate he was lying. He saw that Mayor Helden looked very frightened, but he was still honest.

"Alex… when I left the house, Josh had Christine in the living room. He had a gun on her." he confessed.

~ "Washington, you're with me!" Romero barked.

He had sprang into action as if going to war. There was a certain feeling of nostalgia in rounding up your most trusted troops and going into battle. It made Romero feel powerful.  
"Sheriff, I'm sure if we just talked to him." George tried to explain.  
"White!" Romero shouted to the Mayor's embarrassment. Deputy White was quick to arrive at the sudden chance of action in this sleepy town. "Take Mayor Helden in your car. No lights no sirens."

"Yes, sir." White said quickly.

Romero nodded to Perez. The always pretty deputy with the bright smile for her Sheriff.

"Perez, you'll follow us." he said calmly.

~ The Helden home was beautiful and tastefully landscaped. It had been featured in some kind of decorating magazine earlier that year. Christine had done a lot of work to the home she and her brother bought together. The Helden siblings seemed to have an oddly close relationship. Although they were brother and sister, both grown, they still live together in the same house. They did so out of choice not necessity, and seemed to prefer the arrangement. Christine would date wealthy older men, but her brother the Mayor, was happy to stay at home and not be a social butterfly.

"Alex." George said worriedly when the convoy of the Sheriff and his three deputies arrived on the property. "I thought we agreed on discretion."

"We agreed on nothing, Mayor." Romero snapped. "You told me your sister is being held at gun point by your brother who has a history of mental health issues."

"Your deputies…" George looked back at Washington and White. Both of them putting on bullet proof vests along with the Sheriff.  
"If I tell them not to say anything, they won't say anything." Romero said curtly.

George looked unconvinced, so Romero nodded to the two men who were always his go to for sensitive work.

"Washington, White." he barked. "If I told you to never tell anyone about this, what will you say if asked?"

"We were rescuing kittens from trees, Sheriff." Washington said easily.

White shrugged and looked eager to be involved.

"Rescuing kittens from trees, Sheriff." he said with a grin.

Romero looked at the mayor coldly.

"My sister?" George asked.  
"That's why I have a female deputy here. It's standard when we have the potential for a female victim." Romero explained. He nodded to Washington and White. "I want you two around the back of the house. Suspect is armed and mentally unstable. Tasers only unless your life is in danger or the hostage is in danger. Suspect was last seen in the living room with the hostage. I will go in and try to get him to come with us peacefully. If he doesn't, we're going to use non lethal force to take him out."

"You can't arrest my brother." George said with real concern now.

Romero looked at the mayor as though he'd lost his mind.  
"Oh, yes I can." the Sheriff said mockingly. "Maybe you should stay in the SUV with Perez. You might get in the way."

"Alex, I came to you for help. You arresting my brother isn't want I want." George pleaded.

"According to you, your brother is mentally ill. He's holding your sister at gun point. He is going to be arrested."

"Sheriff Romero, I don't want you arresting my brother." George said stubbornly. "I trusted you."

"Well, live and learn, mayor. Be careful who you trust." Romero shrugged with cold indifference. "Perez, you keep the mayor here till we come back."

"Yes, sir." Perez said with her always eager attitude when he was there.

~ Romero could see the fabled Josh Helden from the front windows by the lawn. He was a younger, thinner version of George. His clothes were too big and hung off his gaunt frame. He must have lost a lot of weight very suddenly.

Romero was relived to see Christine sitting quietly on the sofa by the window. Her expression showed she was exhausted and mentally checked out of the situation. The Sheriff caught his breath when he saw the 38 special in Josh's hand.

"I got eyes on the suspect. He's armed and with the hostage in the living room." Romero said into the radio used for tactical.  
He quickly assessed the situation, felt he was most likely a faster draw than a civilian and decided on action rather than wait any more.  
"I'm going in to talk to him." Romero said.

"Careful, Sheriff." Washington said. It was almost an order. "I don't want to tell your wife and boys you were killed today."

"I'll be fine." Romero said. "But if the worst happens… with Norma…you know what to do."

"Yes, sir." Washington said.

Romero quickly went around the house and to the front door. It was unlocked and the Sheriff let himself in, holstering his side arm. He didn't want Josh to feel threatened. Romero had put his leather jacket on over his vest and didn't exactly look like a cop right away. That would help.

The house was eerily quite and he could hear ticking of some far off antique clock down the hall. Romero walked quietly down the hall and peered into the living room. He saw Josh was pacing again. The young man looking nervous and afraid.  
"Are you Josh?" Romero asked with the same tone of voice he used with the boys.

The young man with the gun froze and looked up at the Sheriff with a start.

"Stay away! Who are you? Who sent you? Was it them?" Josh cried. He raised the 38 at Romero and the Sheriff was quick to put his hands up.

 _'Please don't make me shoot this poor guy._ ' he thought. It was clear that Josh didn't even know how to aim the gun. His stance was all wrong and Romero was sure it wasn't even cocked. Maybe it wasn't even loaded.

Romero glanced at Christine. The tall attractive redhead had been crying for some time and looked ready to start crying again. Otherwise, she appeared unharmed.

"Josh, I'm Alex Romero. I'm the Sheriff here." Romero explained while keeping his hands up. "Your brother George asked me to talk to you. Said you hadn't been feeling well."

"No. No, I'm fine. It's everyone else. They are telling lies about me!" Josh cried. His voice becoming high pitched with emotion.

"I know what that's like." the Sheriff said calmly and stepped into the living room. "People telling lies about you isn't good."

"Stop!" Josh said and aimed the 38 at Romero. The Sheriff stopped and held his hands up again.

"Josh, why don't you tell me what happened." he said calmly. He imagined he was speaking to Dylan or Norman after the two brothers had been fighting. "Tell me why you're so upset. I can probably help."

"They think I'm crazy!" Josh cried. He burst into tears and hit himself on the head with the 38. The young man starting to sob at the self abuse.

"I don't think your crazy." Romero said. "But I can't talk to you till you put that gun down, Josh. It's for everyone's safety."

For a moment, Josh looked like he might give the gun to the Sheriff. He focused on Romero and there was a hopeful sign of trust there.

The Sheriff extended his hand to take the 38.  
"Come on, Josh. Just you and me will talk. I'll listen." Romero promised. He had to keep telling himself this was no different than talking down Norman from one of his temper tantrums. Only Norman wasn't a dangerous mental patient.

Suddenly, as if in a trance, Josh focused his attention on Christine.  
"I'm sorry, Chrissy." he whispered.

Romero felt a cold dread wash over him.  
"Josh?" the Sheriff asked. His voice was more authoritative. "Give me that weapon, son. Right now."  
"I just went a little mad." Josh said to his sister. Christine looked back at her little brother with wide, frightened eyes.

The Sheriff drew his side arm.

"It's going south." Romero whispered into his radio to Washington and White who were already in the back of the house.

"Josh!" Romero ordered and slowly raised his weapon. "Put that down now!"

"We all go a little mad sometimes." Josh admitted before shooting Christine in the head.

Alex blinked at the sight of so much blood on the expensive wallpaper. How much blood and brains came flying out of Christine's head when her brother shot her. How her face melted and even her teeth cam flying out.

Alex felt slightly dizzy at the sight of the brains on the wall. It looked like raw hamburger meat. The smell of blood and gunpowder penetrated his nostrils and he had to look away.

He was too slow.

Years after the horrible thing happened, he would berate himself for being too slow. Norma would tell him he did the best he could, but deep down, Alex would know he should have shot Josh Helden after seeing him murder his sister.

Instead, everything was happening in slow motion. Alex felt and heard the creak of the old floors as Washington and White were running towards the living room. He heard Perez calling out over the radio of shots fired. He watched, as if paralyzed, Josh turn and fire the 38 again.

 **Oh Dear! Oh My!**


	127. Chapter 127

127.

~ Alex felt the wind of the bullets brush past his face. His breathing changing and his chest becoming tight like someone had punched him. He blinked at the near miss and allowed the fear in. Allowed it to consume him. Reacting with pure instinct to fight back, he took aim and fired four shots. All of them hitting Josh Helden in the chest at close range. Had this just been target practice, Romero would have been proud, but seeing the terminal wounds on the thin young man wasn't something to be happy about.

As soon as he saw Josh was bleeding, he wished he could take it back.  
"Sheriff!" Washington shouted and was by Romero's side along with White.

The three men had weapons drawn and aimed at the painfully thin young man who was mortally wounded, but still holding the 38.

"Drop your weapon!" Washington shouted and advanced on the wounded suspect.

Romero stood his ground and kept his side arm trained on Josh. He was finding it hard to breathe. It felt like he'd been struck in the chest by a truck.

The Sheriff watched as his deputies disarm and handcuffed Josh Helden. The young man coughing up blood and looking ready to pass out.  
"Perez-" Romeo gasped into his radio. "We need… ambulance… Suspect is… is down."

"Sheriff?" Washington said aggressively shaking Romero.

Alex looked up at his deputy and felt the pain in his chest wasn't just in his imagination.

"My… it's in my vest." Romero panted.

Washington was pulling at the Sheriff's jacket and Alex almost lost his footing.  
"Can you breathe?" Washington was asking.  
"Perez, we need another ambulance." White said.  
"White!" Romero barked. "Do not tell them it's for me."

Washington was pulling on his bullet proof vest and Alex felt instant relief when it came off.  
"Sheriff." Washington said and held up the vest for inspection. Romero saw it, knew exactly what it meant, and tried to push it out of his mind. The bullet hole was massive in the entry point and the vest had barely stopped it.  
"If you didn't have this thing on, you'd be dead." Washington said.  
"Norma can't know." Alex panted and felt his chest for a wound. His skin felt tender and sore, but intact. "Washington! This didn't happen, understand?"

His deputy nodded and White was quick to follow.

"She's gonna see the bruises, Sheriff." Washington said.

"I'll wear a shirt till they heal." Alex said weakly and sat in a nearby chair.  
"The paramedics need to look you over, Sheriff." White offered. He was taking the pulse of Josh Helden who was already pale looking.

"Fine." Alex agreed. He looked at Christine Helden's demolished face. At the blood over her nice wallpaper and expensive couch. How easily it could have been him laying here dead with her.

~ George was inconsolable when Christine's body was brought out of the house. His sister, probably his best friend, was in a body bag with most of her face blown away. Remnants of her violent death were still covering the walls.

The tragic part of this was Josh seemed to be in stable condition. Despite being shot four times in the chest by Romero, the thin young man was breathing on his own and remained conscious.

"Why?" George cried when the paramedics rolled the youngest sibling out on a gurney to a waiting ambulance. "Why did you do this? Why?"

~ "Sheriff, we need to take your vitals." the chief EMT said.

Alex winced in pain and tried to find a comfortable position to stay seated. The chief EMT responding was an old friend of his and Alex knew he wouldn't write it up if asked not to. Romero didn't want this little incident on any official report.

He was made to take his shirt off and could already see the dark bruise starting to bloom on his chest. The bruising was caused from the force of the bullet being stopped by the vest.

"I'm fine." Alex said weakly.

"You were shot." the chief said.  
"I was wearing the vest." Romero snapped.  
"I don't care if you were wearing a suit of armor, you were still shot. I need to examine you to make sure you don't need to go to the hospital." the chief said.  
"No hospitals." Alex said quickly.

"You want internal bleeding that goes undiagnosed for days and kills you? Because that's what can happen if you don't let me examine you." the chief scolded.

Alex winced again and tried to relax. His chest **did** hurt. It no longer felt like being punched, instead, it felt like he'd been hit with a battering ram.

"My wife." Romero started to say after the chief took his vitals. "She's pregnant and it's high risk. She's on bed rest. I can't have her worried."

"She's married to the Sheriff. She's already worried." The Chief told him. "But I won't say anything. You look like you're going to be okay. Take a few days off and rest, Sheriff."

"Fine." Alex groaned and winced at the effort of trying to sit up.

By the time Romero had his shirt back on and jacket, getting his abused body to work again required a lot of effort and caused a lot of pain, it was already dark.

The Sheriff spotted Mayor Helden being comforted by the grief specialist that Perez had called in.

"You okay, Sheriff?" Perez said with her big worried eyes. "I had heard shots. Called it in. Washington told me that the younger brother shot his sister. I had one of our support team come in and talk to the mayor. He's been really upset and I didn't want him interfering with the investigation. I can stay here or go with you. Whatever you want, Sheriff."

Romero wasn't in the mood for his over eager deputy and her attempts to get alone time with him. Or her never ending overkill when it came to her work.

"I want you to keep an eye on the mayor." Romero said in sharp tone. He didn't like Perez and her constant need to please him. The pace she worked herself would lead to burn out for sure. Added to that, Romero was sure Norma wouldn't like his deputies flirting with him.

"Sheriff?" Washington was calling to him and Romero abandoned Perez in favor of his first deputy.

"How's our suspect? Still alive?" Romero asked hopefully once they were alone on the front lawn. The house was surrounded by police cars and ambulances. Soon enough, the press would be here.

"Still alive and stabilized. He's going into surgery right now." Washington old him.  
"How could that have not killed him?" Romero marveled.

"I don't know, but it's either a miracle or a curse. Only time will tell." Washington said.  
"The press will be here any second." the Sheriff said. "Tell Perez to take the Mayor someplace. Anywhere but here. I don't want his grieving face to make front page news."

"Yes, sir." Washington said.

"Then come back and you'll take me home. I've decided to use some of that medical leave I've got saved up." Romero said sourly.  
"Good idea." Washington said. "You'll still have to do the paperwork. You gonna put in that you were shot?"

"No." Romero snapped. "I've been shot twice in less than two years. I don't want these assholes thinking it's open season on the Sheriff."

~ Norma was working on her quilt when the dogs ears perked up letting her know Alex's police car had pulled up to the drive.  
"Go." she whispered to the dogs who promptly jumped off the bed they'd been sharing all day. Dylan and Norman were inside already and playing in their room. They had been shockingly respectful to their mother's need to rest as much as possible. Maybe they were distracted by the dogs to. Norman especially loved to be in charge of feeding them and making sure they had clean water. The little boy taking pride in how well he cared for the animals.

Norma started boxing up her sewing goods, folding up her scrap fabric, when Alex walked in.  
She sensed right away that something was off about him. It looked like he'd been sweating too much, or had too much coffee. His eyes were wide and it looked like he had trouble concentrating.  
"Alex?" she questioned when he asked how her day was. "What happened?"

"Nothing, just…" he sighed and looked uncomfortable. His eyes not wanting to meet hers.

"Look, you're going to find out anyway. Norma, George Helden came to my office today." he said at last.

"Why?" Norma asked feeling suspicious.

Alex came to the side of their bed and sat down.

"It seems George has a brother who was mentally unstable. A younger brother who had been at an institution for a few years for treatment. He got out and…" her husband looked away.

"What happened? Is everyone alright?" she asked.

She knew something horrible had happened.

"George is fine." he said calmly. "But Christine was shot. She's dead."

Norma gasped and her hands flew to her mouth. Before Norma had broken up with her brother, Christine was always so nice to her. She had taken Norma into her world without question.

"She's really dead?" Norma said with a slight tremble in her voice. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." Alex said darkly.

"Oh!" Norma cried. "Poor George! His brother shot her? Is that what happened?"

"Norma, stay calm, think of the babies." Alex said taking her hand.

Oh, poor George!" Norma cried pitifully.

"It's going to be okay." he said and kissed her hand.

"Why did her brother shoot her? What was wrong with him? Has be been arrested?" she demanded.  
Alex took long breath and let out.  
"I think… maybe he knew he couldn't come back." he admitted.


	128. Chapter 128

128.

~ "Are you sure it's okay for you to be up like this?" Alex asked.

Norma tried not to think about her swollen feet crammed into shoes too small. Her dress shoes for Christine's funeral had fit before her pregnancy, but then again, so did a lot of things.

"I'll be fine." Norma said and heaved herself off the bed. She had taken her time getting dressed for the service that morning. Making sure to take frequent breaks with her feet up.

"We're only staying for the service and to shake a few hands." Alex said. "No graveside service or reception. I want you back home and off your feet."

"Yes, Sheriff." Norma sighed. She was already tired and the day had barely begun. The dress one of the girls from work brought over looked like a big black tent when she first saw it. She was horrified that the ugly pilgrim getup fit her. Her expanding waistline had ballooned to proportions she had never experienced with Dylan or Norman before. She was amazed she could get so big. No wonder her feet hurt just walking around.

"Are we ready?" Alex asked when Norma finally grabbed her purse.

"Yes." she told him. "I'm glad the boys are in school today. It's not going to be pretty."

"It's why I didn't want you to come." Alex said darkly. "I'm sure the family will be pointing the finger directly at me."

"Josh shot and killed his sister, not you." Norma reminded him. "They should have never let him out of the mental institution in the first place. George knew how dangerous he could be."

"Still." Alex admitted. He helped his large wife into the old girl. Even though Norma's car was easier to get into than the SUV, it required pushing the seat all the way back and several attempts to negotiate in.

Rocky and Apollo sat on the front porch and watched their mistress curiously.

"You have to be there, Alex." Norma said when she was finally situated in the front seat. Alex taking much less time getting into the driver's side. "You're the Sheriff and George is the Mayor. Even if you hadn't been involved, you need to be there."

"You don't." Alex said backing out of the drive. Norma felt a little bad for leaving the dogs alone for the funeral. She didn't want to admit to her husband that he had been right about the former police dogs making her feel safer. They kept her company all day when she was home alone. She always knew that no one could sneak up on the property without their ears going up and them going into attack mode.

Except when Alex came home. Then, they guiltily snuck out of the bedroom so not to get scolded for sleeping on the bed.

"Christine and I were friends." Norma said. She pulled at the fabric of the ugly black tent dress. When she had the babies, she planned to burn this dress so it wouldn't hurt anyone again. "We haven't been that close since I broke up with George, but she was always good to me. She brought me into her life and introduced me to her friends. I'm sad she's gone." Norma admitted.

Alex looked uncomfortable.  
"No one blames you, Alex." she said. She knew he felt responsible for not acting quickly enough. That he felt he had made a mistake in not shooting Josh on sight. The fact that the young man had survived the four shots to the chest was nothing short of astounding. He had been through emergency surgery and was already expected to make a full recovery. His lawyer, paid for by his brother George, was laying down the ground work of an insanity plea to avoid jail time.

"I blame me." Alex said.  
"George should have called 911. Not left the house and ask you to come take care of his brother and not tell anyone. They shouldn't have let him come home, they should have accepted he was dangerous and not try to hide it. This is more on them than anyone else. Even the doctors." she told him.

"I know." Alex admitted. "But it's still not going to be easy facing him."

"That's why I'm coming. I'm the Sheriff's wife, I'm supposed to be right by your side during times like these." she said.

~ As with all things the Helden's did, the funeral was beautiful and tasteful. No expense seemed to be spared and the large church was packed with all of Christine's fair-weather friends. Mostly wealthy, soccer moms and their much older husbands. Romero was quick to notice Nick Ford sitting next to his daughter Blair Watson and her mother. Nick Ford having been spared from the DEA investigations after the ledgers were made public. Rebecca Hamilton's arrest had made of lot of powerful people in town very nervous and for good reason. The names on the books were suggestive of serious crimes. Even if they included Alex's mother. A DEA agent had rudely questioned the Sheriff about his mother's name being on the ledgers. Romero playing it cool as ever when it came to this line of questioning. He'd done this before when he made sure his father was sent to prison.

He'd given the DEA permission to look over his bank accounts and tax returns. Explaining how the expensive boat in his barn was a gift from the former Sheriff's widow when he died. How he hadn't gotten a penny from his father and could prove it.

In all, only half a dozen people were arrested for money laundering, including Rebecca. She was facing over twenty years in federal prison for her role in things.

Alex had hoped there would be more of a reckoning for the two families who were behind the pot production. But he had to pick his battles right now. The money man, Bob Paris, was gone. Their means to conceal their profits had all be found out. It was only a matter of time before Nick Ford or the Martians slipped up.

Romero caught sight of Blair Watson and all he could see was a girl he suspected of murder. It had been over a year now since Gemma Harper went missing. All evidence leading to Blair Watson as having sadistically brutalized and killed the girl. Somehow, the politics of this town, she'd gotten away with it. Blair Watson seemed uncaring and bored sitting in the pew next to her mother. The girlfriend of Nick Ford was dressed in a lacy see through top that showed she only had a black bra on. As if such a top was acceptable in church. Blair looked a little better, but only a little. Her skirt was too short and her top too tight. Romero thought grumpily it was a child molester's dream to see a girl that age dressed like that.

He glance gratefully back at Norma. His wife looked uncomfortable but her skin was radiant and her tasteful black dress showing her condition beautifully. He was proud of his wife when she shook hands with some of the Mayor's friends. All of them congratulating her on the babies, but not wanting to say too much to Sheriff Romero.

Norma even hugged George who looked close to tears and was grateful to be so close to his ex again. Mayor Helden shook Romero's hand and Alex was quick to get Norma off her feet before the service started.

~ As usual, the funeral was all about how wonderful the deceased was. How much they were loved and how they died too soon. There was a lot of crying from all the phonies in this town, but Norma kept her focus on George. She felt bad for him, losing his sister like this. She knew what it was like, losing a sibling you loved. In a way, George had lost his brother Josh to. He was alone in the world and had no family left. Norma felt Charlotte kick and waited for Michael to kick back. She put her hand to her left side, and waited.

She was about to grow worried until she felt a slight flutter of Michael stirring inside her.

' _Oh, don't scare me like that again_.' she thought with a sigh of relief. She'd slipped off her shoes and tried to keep them a little elevated. She figured God or Christine would understand the need, even if her husband gave her the 'I told you so' stare.

After the service, she and Alex had to do a gauntlet of hand shaking and people wanting to congratulate her on the babies. Of how wonderful Christine was, even when she was a cold hearted bitch sometimes, and all the things you're expected to say at a funeral.

"Let's get you home." Alex said helping Norma down the church steps. The coffin was being loaded into the hearse and all there waited silently. There was a newspaper photographer taking pictures of the Mayor in his grief.

"Poor George." Norma sighed. "He has no one now."

"Poor you." Alex corrected. "I told you not to come today. Look at your feet."

Norma kicked off her shoes as soon as they were in the car. Alex was right, they were swollen and red.

"Fine." Norma sighed. "Let's go home."

~ Norma relaxed back in bed and Alex helped massage her feet till some of the circulation came back and the swelling went down.

"That's better." she sighed.

"You were wonderful to come out today. I wouldn't have wanted to face those people alone." Alex admitted.

She smiled.  
"I wouldn't want you to face them alone either. Those women are awful. Did you see how that one lady was dressed? She didn't even have the decency to put a camisole on under that black lace top. She just wanted people to see her bra. I think that was her daughter with her. I would never let my child out of the house dressed like that. You just watch, a girl like that gets into all kinds of trouble." she said bitterly.

Alex was allowed himself a slight feeling of happiness that his wife agreed with him about Blair Watson and her mother.

"Alex?" she asked suddenly.

"What?"

"What do you think we should tell Dylan?"

"About what?" he asked.

"About his father?"

"He already knows John isn't in his life. I think he's smart enough to accept it." Alex said.  
"No, not John. I mean his real father." Norma said sadly.

Alex glanced at his wife curiously. It was an unspoken rule between them that they didn't discuss the link between Caleb and Dylan. It had been since Alex first suspected Caleb was both uncle and father to the child. That Norma had been victimized by her own brother for years until she became pregnant by him, and used his high school boyfriend to escape her horrible home life.

"Do you think, when he's older, we should tell him the truth?" Norma asked.

Alex wasn't sure how to answer, so he said nothing.

"I mean, it's who he is. It's his blood, his biological father. I think… if we lied to him his whole life about who his parents are… I don't think he could forgive us." she said weakly.

Alex could see she was about to start crying and decided to put a stop to it.

"Norma, I think it would only hurt Dylan to know the truth. It couldn't possibly benefit him in anyway to know who Caleb really is to him. It might damage how he sees himself. Dylan is a smart, healthy kid no matter how ugly his beginnings were. I think the truth, especially if other people knew, it wouldn't be good for him." he explained.

"Would want to know?" Norma asked with a sniff, her hand going to her nose.

Alex shrugged.

"I know all my parents dirty secrets." he admitted. "Sometimes, I wish I didn't, but that's the way it is."

"But it's who he is." Norma whispered. "It's who Dylan is."

"No, it's not." Alex said calmly. "We don't know who Dylan is yet. We don't know what he's going to become. We can only guide him into becoming something good."

Norma seemed happy at that, and smiled. But it was a sad smile.

"Alright." Alex groaned and gently placed her feet off his lap and back into the bed. He stood up and went to the closet where he kept the gun safe. He entered in his mother's birthday and it opened with a click. It was in this large safe he kept extra guns, the secret run money he'd relived Bob Paris of after shooting him, Norma's blue ribbon she wore on their wedding day and thought she had lost, his old playboys and all his legal and monetary documents. He pulled out the court documents that Connie had drawn up for him last week and looked them over.

"I was saving these until the next time you were mad at me. Sort of a ' _how can you stay mad a me?_ ' kind of thing." he admitted and handed the court documents to Norma.

"What's this?" she asked and dried her tears. She looked over the legal documents and frowned.  
"Alex, what is this? It's about Dylan and Norman? Why is John's name on here? What is this?" she looked up at him in confusion.

"They're adoption paper's, Norma." he said sitting on the bed next to her. She sat up a little straiter and looked over the legal writing that, admittedly, was a little hard to understand.

Alex explained.  
"I had our lawyer make a call to your ex. John was happy enough to sign away his rights to Dylan so I could adopt him. Sam is dead, so that wasn't a problem."

"We have a lawyer?" Norma asked in disbelief.

Alex grinned.  
"Yeah, we do." he said happily. "I'll have Connie come by here tomorrow, and we can make this legal. I'll be the boys father. They'll have my last name and everything."

Norma's eyes were swollen with tears while she looked over the documents.  
"Why… why would you do this?" she asked chocking back a sob.

"We were scared something might happen to you delivering the babies. You made me promise to take care of the boys if I lost you. You made me promise to chose the babies before you. It made me realize I had no legal right to Dylan or Norman if anything happened to you. This way… I can keep them with me." he told her.

"You're… you're choosing to be their dad. Not just their step dad though." she sobbed. "You won't be able to… to take it back if we get divorced. Alex, this is a big decision."

"I know." he said.

Norma was crying and put her hands to his face, pulling him close to her. Alex nuzzled her hair slightly before whispering.  
"I thought you knew by now, I'm all in."

 **And cue the collective fan-girl screaming.**


	129. Chapter 129

129.

~ "Alex are you sure?" Norma whispered when the judge's car left the farm house drive. "I mean… in the eyes of the law Norman and Dylan will be you sons."

She looked over her and her husband's signature on the final copies of the adoption papers. It took a shockingly short amount of time to finish. The judge was willing to come to the house with a clerk to finalize the papers given Norma's condition. Connie was the same small town judge who had married them and had gone over all the legal ramifications of Alex adopting the boys. The law would always see Dylan and Norman as his children. They would even be provided with new birth certificates in a few weeks with the last name Romero.

They would be legally the same as Alex's real babies, with all the same rights.

"I mean…" Norma panted. She was raised to always expect the worst. Always on the lookout for that other shoe to drop and ruin her life. She had never had a good marriage. Sometimes she felt things with Alex were too good to last. It was all too good to be true.

"Norma, no worrying. We talked about how worrying is bad for the babies." Alex told her. He was picking up the boys toys that had been scattered around the living room. Connie had only required the boys give verbal consent to wanting to be adopted. She had explained to them in simple language that if they agreed, Alex wouldn't be their step dad anymore, but that the law would say it's alright to tell anyone that he was their real father.

Dylan's eyes had lit up and Norman became excited because his brother was excited. Norma was pretty sure her youngest thought adoption was something that only happened to orphans in movies.

Norma looked over the last few pages of the adoption papers before she caught her husband's concerned glance.

"Maybe you should rest." he offered. "I'll have the boys clean up their own mess."

"Alright." she agreed at last. It took some work to stand up and once she did, she felt slightly dizzy. Charlotte gave off a kick that made Norma let out a breath of surprise.

"Only two more months." she reminded herself and pressed her hand to her left side. She waited for Michael to kick her to. Charlotte always seeming to start these things and Michael was just going along with his sister. She felt Michael's movements on the left side and was satisfied that he was alright.

"I think she's going to be running the show." Norma said to Alex and placed a hand over the right side of her belly.  
"Of course she will, she's your daughter." Alex said dryly. "She's also the first girl born in this family in three generations. She's going to be very spoiled."

"Looking forward to that." Norma said. "But we can't forget about Michael. I don't want him left out or made to feel unloved."

"I'm sure that won't happen." Alex told her. He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Now, go back to bed." he ordered.

~ Norma was having a bad dream. Maybe it was a memory, she wasn't sure. Someone, a woman, came into her room, and pulled her violently from bed. The woman's hands were cold and she wouldn't stop hurting her.

Norma realized it was a dream and was able to break away from it's grasp. The phantom woman who attacked her disappeared like smoke. She woke up safely in the bedroom she shared with Alex. Her husband asleep beside her and the farm house making all it's predictable noises with the rain storm outside.

Alex could sleep through anything, but Norma was filled with a strange feeling of dread and anxiety. She felt Charlotte moving. She knew her daughter's little movements by now and felt her baby turn. Norma rolled over on her back and rested a hand over her belly. It was so bizarre to feel her baby turn. To actually feel this living creature, outside of her, but still inside of her.

She waited for Michael, and felt nothing but a flutter.

' _Wait._ ' she thought. ' _It's too soon for the babies to be turning_.'

She still had two months left and one baby turning meant labor wouldn't be far behind. Maybe even a couple of days. Dylan had turned and a few days later she felt labor pains. Norman was textbook of course. No surprises at all.

Norma felt an uncomfortable pressure as Charlotte moved again.

"Alex." Norma said sternly. Her husband slept contentedly through the rain storm. He could sleep through anything.  
"Alex, wake up. I think it's time." she said a little louder. She didn't want to wake up the boys and scare them.

She felt her husband's steady breathing become interrupted and he rolled over.

"Alex!" she barked. "Get up!"

"What is it?" he said half asleep but trying to sit up. He turned on the light and looked at her blurry eyed.  
"Alex, I think it's time." she panted. Charlotte was kicking her legs and causing Norma to become slightly winded. "Charlotte just turned, I think she'd ready."

"Has your water broken?" Alex asked skeptically.

"I…" Norma place a hand on Michael's side and could barely feel him over Charlotte's activity.

"Are you sure it's not false labor? You're not due yet." he said.

Norma felt dampness between her legs that wasn't her water breaking. Before, when things were normal, it didn't feel so sticky, thick and warm. She threw back her covers and gasped at the dark pool of blood spreading quickly over her nightgown.

"Alex, call an ambulance." she said calmly.

~ ' _Stay calm. Breathe in and out._ ' she told herself as the pain got worse. Something was wrong. Very badly wrong. She'd never, ever bled like this before with the boys. The blood wouldn't stop coming and she could feel the contractions now.

Her husband had leapt out of bed and raced for the phone. The normally stoic Sheriff of White Pine Bay was almost childlike with fear at seeing her with so much blood coming out.

Norma was afraid to check for dilation, afraid to do anything but breath in and out.

"I think my wife is having a miscarriage, I need an ambulance now." Alex was saying over the phone.

' _Breathe in and out.'_ Norma told herself.

"Alex?" she called to her husband who was still on the phone. He was trying to talk to the operator and her at the same time.

"Norma, the ambulance is on it's way." he said.  
"Make sure Dylan and Norman don't see all this blood. It'll scare them." Norma gasped and let out a groan of pain that wouldn't let her go.

Thankfully, the ambulance arrived, even with the storm and the farm's more remote location. The paramedics were quick to assist their patient, not wasting time to politely check to see how far along she was.

"We have one of the babies crowning." he said and they lifted Norma up onto the stretcher and provided her with oxygen.

"It's too soon." Alex kept saying.

Norma felt a sharp pain and felt more blood slip out.

"Don't push." the paramedic said.

Norma gave out a feeble cry and was sure she felt Michael moving now to. She was sure she felt Michael moving, even if Doctor Bloch later told her that was impossible.

~ Norma didn't remember much about delivering the twins. As soon as she was in the ambulance, it was hard to tell what was real and what would later be the thing of nightmares.

Alex had the boys in the Sheriff's SUV and was behind the ambulance with lights flashing.

"Keep breathing in an out." the paramedic was saying. I have a heartbeat."

"Two. There should be two." Norma said weakly.

She was too weak to say or do much else. She had never been this way before in her life and hoped never to feel so completely helpless again. Her body betraying her and seeming to give up.  
"Mrs. Romero." Doctor Bloch was saying. Somehow the older man had arrived at the ER in the middle of the night and in the middle of the storm. "The kids couldn't wait." he said with a calm relaxing smile that must have put all other mothers at ease. Norma felt her eyes roll back and her world become blurry.

She heard Doctor Bloch tone become deadly serious and felt pain deep within her that she'd never experienced with her other births.

"The other baby?" Both demanded. His tone like a drill sergeant.

"Only one heartbeat." a nurse said.

"Mrs. Romero, I need you to push now." Bloch was saying.  
"I can't." Norma gasped. Her body had given up. She was too weak and too tired. She wanted to just die. If she died, things would be easier. Easier than knowing one of the babies might be dead. Alex would take care of the boys. She could just die and be at peace, be away from this horrible pain.

"I told you to push. Do it now." Bloch ordered and Norma felt slightly irritated that he was ordering her around. Somehow, that irritation became anger and anger had always been her greatest fountain of strength. She bore down and gasped in pain at the feel of her baby passing out of her body. She felt the head, shoulders and body move through the birth canal and Bloch's hands taking hold and ordering suction.

"Mrs. Romero, we have to do this again. I'm sorry." Bloch was saying and she felt his hands on her stomach, on Michael's side and felt her son move, but not kick. He passed out of her body easily after his sister had gone first and Doctor Bloch immediately wrapped him up.

"Are they okay?" Norma cried. She knew the answer. She knew the way Michael was wrapped up, his face covered and so much blood, that he wasn't okay.

She could hear Charlotte screaming already. A high pitched cry as the nurse cleaned her off and suctioned her mouth and nose.

Doctor Bloch glanced at her daughter. He took off the latex gloves and paper gown. They were red with Norma's blood.

"Your daughter looks like she's going to be fine." he said. His tone calm and reassuring. "Good heartbeat and she's obviously breathing."

Norma glanced over at the plastic bed that was keeping her willful daughter contained. She saw legs and arms kicking up and heard her irate baby crying at the sheer indignity of birth.

"You've already delivered the placenta, so no more bleeding." Bloch said. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Romero, your other baby didn't make it."

"No." Norma argued.

"He was stillborn, I'm so sorry, Mrs. Romero." Doctor Bloch told her.

"No. He was kicking me. He was fine." Norma gasped.

"Mrs. Romero, we're giving you something to help you sleep." Doctor Bloch told her.

"No, I need to see him. I need to see Michael." she sobbed.  
"Mrs. Romero." Doctor Bloch said calmly.

Norma was watching a nurse wrap Charlotte up in a pink blanket. She saw her daughter's beautiful tiny feet wanting to kick free.

"I'm afraid your son passed a few days ago while in utero. I think there was inflammation of the placenta and it's what caused his death and your daughter's premature delivery. I'm sorry, I can't let you see him." Doctor Block said.

"I felt him." Norma said softly. "I felt Micheal kick me. He couldn't have been dead."

The pain medication was working it's way into her system and she no longer cared about anything anymore. If felt like falling asleep and she did't dream at all. She didn't care about Alex, the boys, her daughter with the beautiful feet, or her dead son.

 **I'm sorry.**


	130. Chapter 130

**OKAY! The reviews are in. Next time sign in so I can respond personally.**

 **SO... DISCLAIMER! Even though for the past ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY CHAPTERS, I've written about brutal spousal abuse, suicide, child molestation, incest, rape, murder, domestic violence, the savage murders of children by their own mother, children being killed by other children, blood on the floor and nearly everything under the sun... it seems a miscarriage was just too much. **

**I've written about miscarriages in my stories before. They are a tragic part of life, but they are a part of life. I refuse to have everything be white picket fences and puppy love forever. That's not real life. Granted, this story has WAY more drama than real life, but that's because it's a story. **

**I am sorry that some of you were so horribly offended by Norma having a hard miscarriage and that I spared no detail. But that is life. It's painful sometimes. I should know better than anyone how messy life can be. How it's never like it's supposed to be on TV. It's not clean. Life is messy.**

 **I would have thought, this many chapters in, and dealing with a show like 'Bates Motel', it would go without saying things will become graphic and unpleasant.**

 **So, spoiler alert, dead baby.**

130.

~ "The good news is that your wife and daughter are going to be just fine." Doctor Bloch was saying. His voice was calming and his bedside manner was meant to make patients and their families feel at ease.

Alex wasn't feeling at ease just now. He didn't even trust himself to talk just now because the shock, muddled with grief and anger might make his voice quiver. So he simply stared numbly at the paperwork the Doctor had given him. It was a form to fill out, for a certificate of birth resulting in stillbirth.

"Norma will make a complete recovery, I'm certain of that." Doctor Block was saying. "We have her on antibiotics and there won't be the need for any procedures. Just rest for now. We have her on some pain medication to keep her comfortable, and she's going to sleep the day away. Which is probably for the best."

Alex didn't look at the doctor but held tightly to the paperwork for his son's birth certificate and death certificate. Funny how they would be the same piece of paper.

"I'm sorry, Alex." Bloch finally said. "Infection of the placenta is rare, but it sometimes happens for no reason at all. You and Norma, you did nothing wrong. You know that right?"

Alex felt numb all over and still couldn't find his words.  
"Alex." Doctor Bloch was saying comfortingly. "Your son needs a name. I need you to write down his name so we can get your son taken care of. The sooner your son has a name, the sooner we can put him to rest and you and your family can move on. You still have a healthy wife and daughter. So, lets give your son a name and that will be all we have to do for him tonight."

Alex nodded. It wouldn't be that hard to write his son's name on the form, along with his and Norma's name. Carefully, he printed:

 **Michael Thomas Romero**

Her printed his full name and Norma's as the baby's parents, before signing it and putting the only date the baby would ever need.

"Very good." Doctor Bloch said. "Have you and Norma discussed names for your daughter?"

"I wasn't to see him." Alex said abruptly. He was right. His voice did falter from the horrible trauma he was suddenly facing.

"That's not a good idea." Bloch said gently.

"He's my son and I want to see him." Alex argued. He felt like the grief was about to pull him under. Why was Doctor Bloch being so difficult?

"Alex, the dead can wait. Let's go see your daughter. Let's let the funeral home take care of Michael and lets focus on your daughter right now." Bloch said.

Alex shook his head.

"I'm his father and I want to see him." he almost shouted.

~ Romero had seen dead bodies before. His line of work, nothing was too gruesome to him anymore. He'd seen murder victims and car crash victims. All of them looking horrible and the smell never really left you. He'd even seen his mother dead. Felt her cold lifeless body that horrible Sunday morning.

"The fetus died in utero." Bloch was explaining as the two men walked down the hospital morgue. "There will be discoloration."

Alex nodded and saw the medical examiner was waiting for him. Doctor Williams had this job for more than twenty years. Examining the all the people who died in this hospital. Alex saw the small budge on a table, covered with a started sheet as all bodies were when a visitor was here.

"I've already completed a toxicology. Septic shock. All the signs are there." Doctor Williams told Doctor Bloch.

"Are you sure you want to see him?" Bloch asked and Alex nodded.

Doctor Williams was sensitive to Romero's suffering had cleaned the baby up and swaddled him in a blanket as though he was only sleeping. Just his face was exposed to world, and Alex looked at him curiously. The little face, relaxed and expressionless in death, was very pale. Almost blue in color from never having taken his first breath. Especially around the lips and eyes were darkest.

Romero could only stand to look at the lost child for a few seconds before turning away. Doctor Williams covered the body back up again and Doctor Bloch escorted Alex out.  
"This is my fault." Romero said sadly. "All those miscarriages my mother had. I must have passed something down. Some kind of gene that's… that's not right."

"I promise there is no such gene, Alex." Bloch was saying. "Parents lose babies all the time and no one is to blame. You still have a daughter. We need to be grateful."

"How did you keep doing this?" Alex asked. He was suddenly very curious about all the years Bloch had to give good and bad news to parents. "With my mother? All the babies she lost. How did you keep doing this? It must have horrible."

"It was." Block responded. Alex thought he saw the older man look slightly remorseful. "To have to be by her side each time she failed to carry to term. To tell her that her child was gone. To attend the funeral. All she wanted was a baby, and I was so happy to finally deliver a healthy one for her."

Romero thought Bloch was going to say something else. Clearly he wanted to, but the doctor seemed to catch himself and stop.  
"Lets go hold your daughter." he said with a false happiness. "We still need to give her a name."

"Charlotte." Alex said quickly. "Charlotte Louise Romero."

"Very nice." Bloch said. "She's already the prettiest baby in the nursery I'll have you know."

~ Charlotte was the only baby in the nursery that night. She had the full attention of the night nurses who were only too pleased to hand over the sleeping newborn, swaddled in a pink blanket, to her father. They had made Alex put on a paper hospital gown before holding her in the nursery rocking chair. Bloch explaining that she needed to stay in INCU for a few days.

The pain over Michael's sudden loss had settled in his chest and was twisted and heavy. Yet, when he held Charlotte, a contented little bundle dressed in pink, that pain seemed to become less heavy. The unbearable tightness he felt loosened and he could breathe again.

Charlotte was beautiful. Even if her face was still puffy and wrinkled from being born an hour ago. She seemed indifferent to her father being there. That he was trying his best to look like he knew what he was doing, when he had no idea.

"Your two big brothers are very excited to meet you." he told the newborn who stayed asleep. Her breathing was rhythmic and comforting and Alex could see her little chest moving up and down.

"You have to promise not to be too mean to them, sweetheart." he whispered. Charlotte stirred and, crazy at it was, Alex thought she might have shook her head in defiance of being told not to be mean to her brothers.

"Your mom is going to be just fine." he whispered.

Charlotte, realizing he wasn't going to let her sleep in peace, opened her eyes. She tried a few times to open them and looked directly at him. Her expression already bored with his antics.  
"You're going to meet you mom in the morning." he told her trying to not laugh and cry at once. "And I'm not going anywhere. I'm going to be right here. As long as you need me." he whispered.

~ Norma heard a baby fussing next to her. As with all her children, she couldn't sleep if there was a chance her baby would start crying.  
"I'm coming Norman." she sighed and started to fumble for the buttons on her shirt. She would often nurse her son half asleep in the middle of the night and tonight she felt more exhausted than normal.  
"Mommy's here, Norman." she said sleepily. Her shirt didn't have any buttons and she wondered why. She always had buttons so she could nurse her son easier.

A hand, strong yet gentle rested over hers. Effectively stopping her from looking for a way to unbutton her top.

"Norma." a calm voice said in the darkness.

Norma had a hard time opening her eyes, they felt so heavy right now. Her baby was still fussing. Her son Norman needed her to nurse him, then she could go back to sleep.

"I can't… get this… this thing… off." she said feebly. "The baby… he needs to be feed. So… so he can go back sleep."

"It's okay, Norma." the voice beside her was saying. "The nurse just took her and they'll give her a bottle."

"What nurse?" Norma sighed and fell back in bed.  
"We're in the hospital and they let me take her out of the NICU because you were starting to wake up." the voice said.

Norma finally opened her eyes enough to see her hospital room. See the morning outside and the man sitting right by her bed was…

"Deputy Romero?" she said in surprise.

He laughed and his fingers were playing with her hair. His gaze affectionate and almost loving.

"It's Sheriff Romero, Norma." he corrected her. "I haven't been a Deputy for years now."

"Oh." she breathed. She felt too tired and too heavy to think right now. "Where… where are the boys?"  
"Deputy Washington took them." he told her. "His wife is going to take them to school and daycare."

"I thought I heard a baby crying." she told him weakly.

"You **did** hear a baby crying." he told her.

"Who's baby was crying?" she asked groggily.

Deputy Romero was smiling and seemed amused by her lack of understanding of what was happening.

"That was our baby crying, Norma." he told her softly.  
"What?" she asked. Surely he must be joking. What kind of a weird joke was that to make? "I don't even… know you that well." she reasoned.

Deputy Romero was looking down at her fondly.

"That's not our baby." she said realizing he was trying to play a trick on her. It was pretty funny, but she hardly knew Deputy Romero and she didn't even think she liked him that much.

"It sure is." he said. "We named her Charlotte Louise Romero."

"No." she said and refused to believe this odd prank he was pulling. "You don't know what your talking about."

"Alright, Mrs. Romero." he smiled.

"You called me…" she tried to make herself understand, but it wasn't coming to her.

"We got married." he told her after a few moments of watching her struggle.

"No, we didn't." she snapped.  
"Yes, we did." he laughed.

"I would never marry you. I don't even like you, Deputy." she said. She was becoming dizzy again and wanted to go back to sleep.  
"Well, you must have learned to like me, because you did marry me. You married me, I adopted the boys and we just had a little girl." he told her.

He was smiling, but his smile seemed kind of sad.  
"I don't…" she started to say. "Are the boys okay?"

"Everyone's fine, Norma." he whispered and kissed her forehead. She hadn't expected Deputy Romero, a virtual stranger to her, to kiss her forehead.

"We really have a little girl?" she asked skeptically. It felt like her memories were coming back. Images were flashing before her eyes. A blue and white classic car, her wearing a wedding dress with a blue bow. Deputy Romero kissing her. Of him making love to her with such passion she thought she might die.

"We do." he told her. "She's perfect, Norma."

"Really?" she asked.

"Norma, you're very tired, why don't you go back to sleep. You'll feel better." he said.  
"I'm too worried to sleep. I'm just… so scared Sam is going to come back. What he's going to do." she confessed without thinking.

Deputy Romero leaned over her, kissed her lips and whispered in her ear.

"Sam Bates is long gone, Norma. You're my wife now and you're never scared of anything."


	131. Chapter 131

131.

~ Alex had never bottle fed a baby in his entire life, but marveled at how easy it actually was. Once more in the NICU rocking chair, once more bedecked in a paper gown, the nurses let him bottle feed his daughter for the first time.

Charlotte was a greedy baby and he didn't have to work too hard to sell her on the idea of the bottle. Her tired eyes opened while she ate she looked right at him. Her intense stare never seeming to break away. It felt like she was judging him. Assessing his potential value as a father and what it would mean for her. Alex knew that Charlotte wasn't done evaluating him, but he was already smitten with her.

He had always liked beautiful, fearsome creatures.

Everything about her was perfect. Her little pink hands and feet. The fact that her face looked more like an older person's than a new soul. She flexed her perfect, tiny fingers and would curl them around his thumb. Her fierce grip reminding him of Norma.

When he finally finished feeding her, she seemed satisfied. Her eyes closing and then, like a wonderful thank you, she stuck out her little pink tongue at him.

~ Norma woke up alone in her hospital room and saw it was raining again. For a few blissful moments, she had forgotten the horror that brought her here. The bleeding, the pain, the babies moving, but really only one of them had been moving the past few days.

She tried not to cry. Tried not to let the grief wash over her and pull her under.

Instead, she carefully pulled herself out of bed. Her body still hurt from the delivery the day before, but she had suffered this kind of pain before. She knew her limits. Besides, she wanted a shower. Maybe it would make her feel better to have freshly washed hair and skin.

With the warm water running over her body, she finally felt she was safe to cry. Safe to mourn for Michael in peace without interruption or judgement. Her body was literally bruised from the delivery. Of delivering a stillborn baby along with a living one.

She felt pain, not physical, but it might as well have been, radiate through her. Michael was dead and it was all her fault. She hadn't wanted another boy. She had told Alex that when she first suspected she was having a boy. Her son must have sensed that and decided he was unwanted. Norma was very good at not loving something. For a long time, she found it hard to love Dylan. The origins of her first born were so awful, all she could see was her own suffering when she looked at him.

The guilt over not loving Dylan during his infancy still plagued her. With Norman, it was so different. He was a perfect pregnancy and perfect baby. She loved him so easily. Now, she was afraid to even think about Charlotte. Afraid to look at her surviving baby and only see the baby she'd lost. The boy she proclaimed she didn't want.

But she **had** wanted him. She had wanted Michael so much it hurt. She wanted that soft spoken little boy who looked like Alex in miniature. Who would be the very best of both of them. A little boy who would love her without reservation.

Now, he was gone and she knew it was her fault alone. She shouldn't have gone to the funeral for Christine. Maybe that's what caused her sons loss. She might not have been eating the right foods. Twins were tricky and her body just decided to eliminate one.

Norma allowed herself to sob freely while the warm water washed away any evidence of her grief. She didn't want anyone to see she had a moment of weakness. Didn't want people to whisper that the Sheriff's wife was crying over her dead baby.

~ Norma carefully dressed herself and saw, to her dismay, that her body had failed to snap back to the dress size she was before the pregnancy. She took inventory of her appearance in the bathroom mirror and was slightly more depressed. She hadn't been expecting to put on her old clothes right away of course, but her stomach still protruded and her face still looked fat.

She didn't want to look at herself in the mirror anymore.

Norma kept the lights in her hospital room low and the TV off. She wanted to sleep for a while now. It occurred to her she could go down to the NICU and see her daughter. Hold her perhaps. She couldn't nurse her because of the medication she was on for pain and infection, but she could see her.

But seeing Charlotte would be like seeing Michael and she wasn't prepared to do that. She wanted to be hurt and sad and most of all, angry. She wanted, **needed** , to feel these things in order to feel anything at all.

She took a deep breath and let the loss of Michael pull her under water.

~ When she woke up, Alex was sitting by her bedside. He had brought her new clothes and shoes to wear.  
"Norma?" he asked gently. She saw he had invaded her room and wished he'd just go away. How rude was it to come into her hospital room like this? Couldn't he see she wanted to be left alone?

"What?" she asked curtly.  
"Norma, have you eaten anything?" he asked.  
"I'm not hungry." she told him.

"I think you need to eat something." he said.  
"I'm fine. I'm tired. Just let me sleep." she sighed and closed her eyes again.  
"No, I'm not going to just let you sleep." he said scornfully. He moved closer to her and she felt his hands over hers, gently shaking her.  
"Don't!" she cried pitifully.  
"Norma, have you been to see Charlotte?" he asked. His tone like he was interrogating her for a crime.  
"No, of course not, Alex." she hissed. "I just gave birth and one of my babies died."

"One of **our** babies died." he corrected her.

She glared hatefully at him. His rudeness just now was unforgivable. As if her pain was something to be shared. Like her suffering would be easier if he had equal rights to it.

"I want you to go see our daughter, Norma." he said sternly. "She's beautiful. They let me give her a bottle this morning and she when she finished, she stuck her tongue out a me."

His expression melted from anger, to joy, to sadness as if they were all molded together somehow.

But he was smiling at the memory of the new baby and her obstinate attitude. His eyes, sad, but still hopeful.

Norma curled into a ball in her hospital bed and tried not to think about her daughter. It was wrong that she hadn't been to see her yet. It was wrong that she was avoiding even thinking about the healthy baby she had delivered. Her guilt and shame over the baby she had lost was all she could think about.  
"She's okay?" Norma asked finally.

"She's perfect. She came a little early. That's why she's in the NICU, but she's eating and crying and she even has her fingernails. Doctor Bloch said she's going to be fine." Alex told her.

Norma nodded.

"I was hoping you could get dressed for me." he said. "We could go and see her together. Chuck is here and she has the boys. Sybil came by and saw her, but they wouldn't let her in the NICU because she's had a cold."

"How is Sybil?" Norma asked suddenly. She wanted to tell Alex everything Sybil had told her about his real mother. Because now, she really understood what her husband's natural mother must have been going through. The heartbreak of losing a child. Of failing that child. Her only job was to protect that innocent life inside her and to be made to feel like she had failed at it, was a terrible crime to inflict on an innocent girl. All so her baby could be stolen to a more deserving family.

"I'll be honest." Alex sighed. "Sybil isn't looking very good. I think she's getting ready to leave us."

Norma looked away from her husband. She couldn't tell him the truth. Maybe not ever. It would hurt him too much and he was already in pain.

"I want to see Michael." she whispered.  
"No." Alex said. That was the end of the discussion.

"I need to see his body to make sure he's really dead." Norma argued.  
"He is. He is dead, Norma." Alex told her. "I went to the morgue and I saw him."

She felt a hateful twist of betrayal that he had been allowed to see her son, but she hadn't. She was forbidden from seeing her lost baby?

"I want to see him." she whispered.  
"Norma, we have the funeral in the morning." Alex said soberly. "It's a closed casket. We're going to burry Michael, next to my mother."

Tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't want a funeral. She wanted to see Michael. She wanted to confirm he was really dead. Wanted to make sure this wasn't all some elaborate hoax being played on her. That someone hadn't stolen her healthy son and left her in this abyss to die.

"No, I need to see him." she croaked.

"I saw him." Alex whispered. His hands holding hers. "I saw him. He was wrapped up in a blanket. He looked very peaceful."

His voice quivered a little. His emotions getting the better of him for once.

"I saw him. He looked like he was sleeping. Tomorrow morning, we are going to have a private service for our son. We're going to bury him next to my mother. He'll have a headstone soon and we can visit him. We have to think about Charlotte and the boys now. Norma, I need you to come back to me. I can't do this without you. I don't know how to take care of a baby." he pleaded.

The look he gave her was the same one the dogs always gave her when they wanted to be allowed on the bed.

She didn't want any part of a funeral for her son. She wanted to see him and not let anyone else touch him. Why couldn't she at least see him?

"Come on, honey. I need my tiger back." he whispered. He was kissing her lips and she felt nothing. "Let's go see Charlotte."

~ Norma allowed herself to be pushed in the wheelchair to the NICU. She allowed the nurses to pull the paper gown on her as if they were dressing a doll. They put the squirming bundle in her arms and gave her the bottle to feed Charlotte with.

Her daughter was fussy and didn't take to her mother holding her right away.

"Maybe if you held her a little closer." the nurse offered. "She might feel more comfortable, then she could eat."

Norma felt an intense dislike at being told how to feed her own baby. She knew these nurses were judging her. That everyone knew her son was dead because of her. Charlotte was still not taking the bottle and Norma handed the baby back to the NICU nurse.

"Here, I don't think she's even hungry. I need to rest." she said before turning her chair around.

"Norma?" Alex called for her to come back.

Norma was already wheeling herself out of the NICU. Those nurses probably thought she was a terrible mother. Who's to say they were wrong? Good mother's have healthy children, don't they? Good mother's don't avoid looking at their newborn baby, do they?

~ It was raining the day of Michael's funeral. Norma wanted to be anywhere but standing in front of the small white casket. Alex had picked her up from the hospital and the boys hadn't said a word to her from their spot in the back seat. Alex had no doubt told them how their mother had lost their younger brother. How she was not to be disturbed or asked questions about the missing baby, or how he was going into the ground today.

She was glad that it was family only. Sybil and Chuck were there and considered family. They only family Alex and Norma had anymore except for the boys. There wasn't a write-up in the paper about Michael, and that was good. Everyone would forget he ever existed. That he was even real.

Norma wouldn't forget. Not ever.  
"We just have to get through this." Alex was saying when Norma felt her body go numb. She was slowly forcing her emotions to wither away and die. She wanted to be just a shell right now. She wanted to bury herself with Michael as a penance for letting him die.

It was raining at the grave sight and Alex held an umbrella out for her. She felt nothing as they lowered the tiny casket into the cold earth. She hoped that her son was wrapped up warmly. The ground was so cold here. She didn't watch them shovel dirt over the casket, but turned and started to walk away. She didn't feel anything anymore. Her own hatred at herself making her grief turn to stone. Making her soul as cold as the ground her son was laid to rest in.

 **I will not be allowing any catty reviews to post as 'GUEST' anymore. Sign in please.**

 **I'm not giving up on this story because of haters. I just find the reason for their hate to be very selective. I've been writing for years now and I can handle critics and trolls alike.**

 **They hate me cuz they ain't me.**

 **They delivered 8 pallets of grass to the new house today. I can water my new grass with the tears of my haters. LOL.**


	132. Chapter 132

132.

~ Norman and Dylan were watching little Charlotte like they expected her to do a trick. Alex had left her in the car seat, but had placed the seat and baby, on the kitchen table while they boys ate breakfast.

"She's so little." Norman decided with a grin. His newly missing baby teeth giving him a lopsided smile like his brother.

"She'll get bigger." Alex assured him.

He was making the boys breakfast while Norma slept in. She had been sleeping a lot since retuning home. Her depression seeming to spiral deeper with each passing day. She hadn't even wanted to go with him to the hospital to pick their daughter up. The newborn's condition improving enough to be taken home and cared for.

During Michael's funeral Norma had seemed especially detached. Chuck had pulled Alex aside and told him that she needed to talk to a professional about her depression. That he couldn't just ignore it and hope Norma would get better.

Alex knew his friend was right. Norma needed help to put the loss of Michael behind her. He was hurting to from the loss of his son, but he kept telling himself he couldn't break down. Not right now when so many people needed him. He knew it was different with a mother than a father when it came to losing a baby. The mother always took it hardest. Especially a mother like Norma who prided herself on being a good parent.

The three men of the house were around the kitchen table. The boys with their toast and cereal, Alex with coffee. All of them looking at Charlotte in her car seat. The new baby, her own person from the moment she was born, stared right back at them as if to defiantly ask, ' _What are you looking at_?'

"Is mom okay?" Dylan asked. He finally turned away from his new sister and glanced up at Alex.  
"No." Romero told him honestly. "But she will be. She took your brother dying very hard."

"We never even saw him." Norman complained. "He never came home like she did."

Norman nodded to Charlotte who looked unimpressed with her older brother.

"I know." Alex sighed. "But it doesn't matter if he never came home with us. He was still a person. He was still our son and your little brother."

"Even if we never met him?" Norman asked curiously.

"Even if you never met him." Alex nodded.  
"I wish Michael was here to." Dylan admitted. "Norman and I were picking out what toys we were going to give him. He could have played with us when he was bigger."

"You can play with your sister when she's bigger." Alex nodded to Charlotte.

She made a slight gurgle of protest that seemed to object to that idea.

"How long is she gonna be this way?" Norman asked. His expression showing he wasn't entirely convinced his little sister was a good idea.

"A year." Alex said.

"That's a long time." Norman sighed.

"You know, you boys have to help out more. Just like we talked about." Alex reminded them. He spoke to the both of them as if he was addressing an assembled group of deputies. It was easier to accomplish what he wanted for the house if he stayed in ' _Sheriff Mode_ ' when it came to the boys. Otherwise, they tended to do what they wanted.

"When I come home, I want to see the chore list done. That means in the morning, your rooms picked up, the dogs fed and watered. I want the living room in order and your clothes separated for us to do laundry. Understand?"

"Yes, sir." Norman and Dylan chimed in together.

"Make sure you dishes are in the dishwasher, make sure you have your school things ready. Understand?" he ordered. Dylan and Norman nodded quickly and Alex knew he wouldn't have to say anything more to them.

Charlotte was growing tired of her brother's staring at her and started to fuss a little.

"What's wrong with her?" Norman asked worriedly. "Is she sick?"

"She's just hungry." Alex said. "Babies can't tell you what's wrong with them, so they cry."

Charlotte let out a sob and looked at Alex for help.

"I'll get her some cereal." Norman offered helpfully.  
"Don't be stupid!" Dylan interrupted. Alex had already started heating up a bottle for Charlotte. Norma still couldn't nurse her because of the pain medication and antibiotics she was taking.

"What?" Norman asked sadly.  
"Babies can't eat that. They have to drink milk, stupid." Dylan told his brother.

"Dylan, don't call your brother stupid." Alex told him. He felt like he was always having to stop Dylan from bullying Norman lately. "We talked about this."

"Yes, sir." Dylan said defeatedly.

Charlotte was crying now in full force and Norman looked both worried and horrified.  
"Boys, go brush your teeth and get dressed." Alex ordered. He took the car seat off the kitchen table and brought it, with baby and the newly heated bottle into the room he shared with Norma.

She was already awake and sitting up in bed. Her face looking like she'd slept too much.

"How is she?" she asked and nodded to the carseat Alex put on the bed.

"Hungry." Alex told her. "Did you want to feed her?"

Norma looked at Charlotte who stopped her wailing for just a few seconds to take in the view of her mother. She started crying again when she realized Norma hadn't moved to help her.

"She didn't want to eat for me last time." Norma said pathetically.

"Hold this." Alex said and handed his wife the bottle. She took it reluctantly. Clearly she didn't want to be involved with feeding their daughter.

Norma wanted to be left alone so she could grieve the loss of their son. Not be disturbed by the gift of their daughter.

She watched Alex as he carefully too Charlotte out of her car seat and held her close to his body. The newborn, recognizing the position of being fed, immediately stopped her crying and looked hopefully up at him.

Alex sat in bed next to Norma, took the bottle, and gave it to Charlotte. The newborn took to her meal easily and made no more complaints. She seemed perfectly pacified with her feeding. Her focus on Alex's face as she ate. Like they were the only two people in the world.

"You're so good at that." Norma commented. She had been watching him feed the baby and he saw the guilt and feeling of inadequacy on her face.

"Norma, you have to come back to us. I can't do this without you." he said seriously.

She looked ready to cry for a moment and looked away from him.  
"I know." she whispered. "I know."

"I need you, the boys need you and she needs you." he nodded at the baby who was still eating contentedly.

"I'm trying, Alex." she said sadly.

"I think you should see a doctor. A special doctor who can help you deal with loss. I think it's too much to ask for you to move past this all on your own." he said. "I think you need to see a specialist. Maybe we can go together."

Norma let out a sigh.  
"I didn't like being on that kind of medication. It made me feel numb." she explained.

"You can't function like this." he told her.

He was using his 'Sheriff's' tone with her. Just like he used with the boys so effectively.

"Alex…" she tried to explain.  
"It's not going to feel okay for a long time. We both lost our son, Norma. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anyone's fault." he said.

She looked sadly at her daughter in his arms. She didn't look like she longed to hold the baby.

"We're going to do everything we can to be happy again. Charlotte deserves that." he told her. It was more like an order. Something she couldn't disobey.

"Okay." she said weakly. "You're right. I'll go to any doctor you want."

She looked close to tears as she watched Charlotte finish her bottle.  
"I'm sorry, Alex." she cried softly. "I'll do better. I promise."

He looked her in the eyes and knew she meant it. Knew she would try to move past losing Micheal.

Charlotte fished her bottle and, predictably, stuck her tounge out at Alex when he took it away.  
"She always does that." he said with a mock sense of outrage.

Norma allowed herself to laugh a little at the situation.

"Just for that, no dating till you're thirty, young lady." he scolded the baby with a gentle whisper.

Norma was smiling, though her eyes were sad, and Alex was pleased to see her hand go to the baby's head and smooth out her hair.

"She **is** beautiful." she said after some thought.

"Of course she is." Alex agreed. "We knew she would be."

He nodded for Norma to take Charlotte and his wife looked unsure.  
"I need to check on the boys." he told her. "You and Charlotte need some bonding time."

Norma reluctantly took her daughter and held her as if she might break. Charlotte seemed fine after having eaten and didn't fuss at the transfer. Her mother looking doubtful she could actually hold her own newborn.  
"I'll be right back." Alex promised.

He left his wife and daughter to track down those rotten boys and order them into the SUV for school.

"I mean now!" he finally had to bark when Dylan forgot his backpack. He returned to the bedroom to see the beautiful sight of his wife holding his daughter with ease. Norma was cuddling Charlotte gently and humming to her. The baby already asleep in her arms. Norma's face, serene and almost happy.

 **I feel it's important to not have life be perfect for any of my characters. To respect the fact that a loss like this one will take time. Norma is a long way from being better, but she's going to get there.**


	133. Chapter 133

133.

~ "This is a really nice." Norma told Alex after taking in the decor of the waiting room. She felt nervous being here in this beautifully furnished waiting room. It looked nothing at all like a doctor's waiting room. At least not one she was used to. This waiting room felt more like someone's living room with its' leather chairs and sofa. The wallpaper looked expensive and even the artwork appeared authentic and was nicely framed.

Norma was wondering if the rug was just a knock off when she felt Alex's hand gently clamp down on her ankle. She hadn't realized she had be fidgeting so much. Her leg swinging freely as they sat on the sofa together.

It wasn't all her fault though. She had finally been able to drink coffee for the first time since realizing she was pregnant. She had finally started nursing Charlotte, but could still indulge in such wonderful things like caffeine if she expressed milk for the baby the night before.

The effects of the double expresso made her feel a little jittery. It also didn't help her anxiety that she was going to see a therapist for the first time in her life.

Norma glanced at her husband who seemed just as nervous as she was. Although Alex always held himself together better. The world could be ending and Alex Romero wouldn't bat an eye.

"Alex, are you sure we can afford to see this guy?" Norma asked nodding suspiciously at the awards that their new doctor had hung on the waiting room wall.

"He's in network." Alex told her. "I have state benefits, so it will cover almost any specialist we want to see with no copay."

"That's so sexy." Norma commented and thought she saw him smile. "I only ask because, well, look at this place."

She nodded at the stained glass windows and fireplace.

"It's nice." Alex agreed.

"I just don't want to get a bill from this guy that costs more than our house." she said sourly.

"It'll be okay. We can always sell one of the kids." Alex told her nonchalantly.

Norma pretended to think it over.

"I guess we could. Just not the little one." she said.

"No, not the little one. We'll sell Dylan or Norman." he agreed.

"Norman would probably get more money. He's such a sweetheart." Norma decided.

"Dylan's been pulling girl's hair again. It's going to hurt his resale value." Alex told her.

"What? Again?" Norma fumed. "When did this happen?"

Alex turned to her and tried not to smile.  
"Yesterday, I had to have a talk with his teachers." he explained.

"I thought he was past that. He hasn't done it in so long." Norma sighed.

"I'll talk to him again." Alex promised.

Norma looked around the waiting room and felt anxious that they were kept waiting. What if their new doctor was monitoring their conversation? Trying to find out all he could when they thought they were alone. What if they were like rats in some kind of experiment?

"We shouldn't talk about selling the kids." Norma said nervously. She felt the tension inside her body ease when she started moving her foot again. All that energy and anxiety needed an outlet.

Alex turned and looked at her curiously. She shrugged.

"People will think we're weird." she explained.

"We are weird." he told her.

"I know that, but we keep our weirdness contained between us." she said nervously. She could feel her words coming fast at the sudden anxiety. "But this guy doesn't know us. He's not going to get our humor. We start talking about selling one of the kids, then child services are at the door."

"I don't see that happening." Alex said cooly.

"I do." Norma insisted.  
"Well, it'll be nice having the house to ourselves." Alex said dryly.  
"See? That's what I talking about!" Norma hissed. Her husband was grinning at her like a misbehaving school boy. "This guy won't understand that you're joking."

"Who says I'm joking?" Alex teased. "I was planning of getting the boys a tent so they could go camping in the yard every night this summer."

Norma was about to scold him, thought about the boys being out of the house for most nights during the summer and decided she wasn't against it.

She felt Alex's hand clamp back down on her fidgeting foot, his touch gentle as always, but needing her to stop.

"Mrs. and Mrs. Romero?" a young man come out of the back office and into the waiting room.

Alex and Norma both sat up a little straiter.

"Doctor Edwards will see you now." the assistant said.

~ "I'm sorry you both had to wait. My last session ran long." Doctor Edwards said in a calming, very soothing voice. Norma wondered if his way of speaking came naturally, or if that was something he'd learned in medical school. She sat on the very edge of the couch next to Alex. Her entire body alert and anxious at being analyzed.

"Not a problem." Alex said casually. He sat back in the couch as if he was at home. Norma, her posture strait and her body tense looked like she was ready to bold out the door. Alex looked like he could take a nap.

"I'm just going to ask a few questions." Doctor Edwards said in that kind voice Norma liked. "Nothing too terrible, I just need to see where we are. What we want to gain from our time together."

The kind, well dressed doctor looked from Alex to Norma and finally settled back on Norma.

"Have either of you ever been in therapy before?" he asked.  
"What? Oh, God no." Norma said with a forced laugh.

She felt the air in the room shift and wondered what she had said wrong. Had she insulted Doctor Edwards?  
"Well, I mean, I've never needed this type of thing before." she explained quickly. "I'm not saying I need this type of thing now. I'm not saying… well… that I don't need this type of thing." she floundered. She could sense that the doctor and Alex thought she was talking crazy.  
"I mean, I'm certainly not mentally disturbed." she assured Doctor Edwards who looked back at her with a good natured smile. "And… um… no matter what you think we would never sell the children."

"Norma." Alex said calmly.  
"Okay." Norma said quickly and was glad Alex had said something to stop her from talking.

Doctor Edwards wrote a little note that she couldn't see.

"What about you, Sheriff?" he asked.  
"When I was younger." Alex admitted. "My mother, had a lot of issues and I was in family counseling with her."

"Your father?" Edwards asked.  
"He was the Sheriff before me." Alex explained. "And, no. He didn't believe in therapy."

"How are you parents now?" Edwards asked.  
"My mother committed suicide over eight years ago." Alex explained. Norma felt uncomfortable to hear Alex talk about his mother in front of this stranger. It wasn't Edwards business after all. "My father is in state prison on various federal charges. He's never getting out."

"I see." Edwards said and took his time writing out Alex's sad family history.

Norma wondered what the doctor was writing about. She didn't like that Alex had just told this doctor what happened to his parents. She didn't want Edwards judging him.

"What about you, Mrs. Romero?" Edwards asked and looked up at Norma.  
"Me?" Norma asked.

"Yes." Edwards said in that kind voice of his. "Tell me about your parents."

"Why?" Norma asked suspiciously.

"Because I'm trying to understand what you two are going through. It's a picture I need your help completing." Edwards explained.

Norma felt herself stiffen again. She took a deep breath and let it our. She glanced to the left and focused on a painting of a jazz band.  
"My um… my mother… she, she worked in bakery. She was a baker. She always smelled like cookies." Norma explained carefully. It was like she was describing someone else's life. The life she should have been born into. "My father… he… he worked a lot. He was... a good... a good provider."  
How would you describe your childhood?" Edwards asked.  
"Typical." Norma said quickly. "Normal. My childhood was normal. Very Normal. Normal and happy. We were very happy… and normal."

Edwards didn't say anything. He's expression seeming to wait for her to go on.

Norma glanced at Alex who's face looked lit it was made of stone.

"Sheriff, other than the family counseling, have you see any specialists for emotional needs?" Edwards asked at last.  
"Once, after I was shot. I lost my friend and mentor, Sheriff Wilson in the incident. It's required to see the department therapist for so many hours after a shooting like that." Alex explained.

Norma felt her anxiety grow. Why was Alex so calm?

She watched Doctor Edwards write in his notes and then look at both of them.  
"I understand we are her because there was a traumatic birth recently. That you both lost your son, but your daughter survived." he said gently.

"Yes." Alex said. "Charlotte is at home and doing very well. She's almost a month old now."

Norma nodded.

"That's very good to hear." Edwards said. He looked at Norma. "Charlotte is doing well, how is her mother?"

"What do you mean?" Norma asked defensively.

"I'm asking how you're doing, Norma." Doctor Edwards said easily. Clearly he wasn't thrown off by anything.

Norma took another deep breath and tried to give him a good answer.  
"I'm… I'm fine." she said as happily as she could. "You know, losing the baby was hard." She shrugged like she was able to shake it off easily. "But I have my daughter."

"It's very common for mothers to blame themselves for the loss of a child." Edwards offered.

"I don't blame myself." Norma snapped. "Who said I blamed myself?"

"Norma." Alex tried to take her hand but she moved away.  
"I don't blame myself or anyone else." she told Edwards defensively. "It happened and we're moving on."

Edwards waited for her to stop talking. Waited for her to calm down. Norma felt her anxiety was pulling her body apart at the idea that this man was judging her. Blaming her for losing Michael in some unnamable way.

"Tell me about the other children in the house." Doctor Edwards said. "What are they like?"

"They're fine." Norma said quickly before Alex could respond. "We told them what happened, they were very sad. Now, they're fine."

"Dylan is eight and Norman is six now." Alex elaborated. "They boys were the children of my wife's previous marriage. I adopted them a few months ago."

"That was a big change for everyone." Edwards admitted. "Did you bring any children to the family, Sheriff?"

"No." Alex said simply. "I was married for a short time while in the Marines; we divorced."

Edwards nodded and wrote down more notes.  
"Are you on good terms with the boy's natural father, Norma?" Edwards asked.

Norma felt that tightness in her body again.

"Oh, yes." she breathed and tried to smile. "You know. As good as we can be."

She glanced at Alex to see if he would call her out on the lie, but his expression was still stone like.

"Norma," Doctor Edwards closed his perfidious notebook with all his secret judgments about her and rested his elbows on his knees. "I want you to think about what you want to gain from therapy today. What your end goals are. I want you to think about how you plan to reach them. What do you need to be happy?"

"I have to?" Norma questioned. She sneered at him sarcastically. "Isn't that your job?"

"Norma, I can't help you if you're not honest with me." Edwards said.

"I am being honest." Norma huffed.

Edwards didn't argue with her. He simply opened his notebook again and wrote about her some more.

~ "What the hell was that?" Alex demanded in the parking lot. "I mean, what the hell?"  
"I don't like that man." Norma bit back.

"He's a therapist, Norma. He's supposed to ask you these kinds of questions." Alex told her.

"I'm not comfortable talking about the things he asked. I'll talk to him about Michael if you want, but not about my parents, or Caleb or… or anything else." she snarled.

"Norma, you can't just make up an entire childhood." Alex told her.  
"Yes I can." she argued.

Alex looked like he wanted to fight with her about the issue, thought better of it and unlocked the car.  
"Let's go pick up Charlotte." he said grumpily when she got into the car with him.

"Good. I don't want her in daycare more than she has to be." Norma agreed.

 **To my mysterious, no name, hater who says I need to give up writing this story, not gonna happen. I don't write this for you. I write for myself and the awesome people who dig this story. The awesome people who tell me how it makes their day and makes them happy.**

 **To my hater, don't read it anymore if it's not working for you. Problem solved. But we all know you will cuz you love me and wanna stalk me on Instagram. I don't blame you. I'd stalk the shit out of me to.**


	134. Chapter 134

134.

~ "She has the hiccups." Norma said.

Alex and Norma were watching Charlotte's little body jump slightly with each hiccup. The baby didn't seem too troubled by them. She watched her parents watching her. It was the same situation she had to endure before when her brothers would watch her over breakfast. Everyone in the family finding Charlotte fascinating to observe. Even if it was only a case of the hiccups.

"That's adorable." Alex concluded at last.

They had decided to stop at a small cafe for lunch after picking their daughter up from daycare. It had been a long drive to Doctor Edwards office and back. Norma and Alex deliberately wanting to see a doctor further away for privacy concerns.

They had ordered lunch, Norma a salad, Alex a burger. His wife didn't even lecture him about eating healthy this time. Instead she looked guiltily at her clasped hands on the table.

"I talked to him, didn't I?" she said defensively.

"No, you didn't." he corrected her gently. He didn't want to show annoyance at her in front of their daughter. Charlotte was looking eagerly back and forth between her mother and father. At one month old already, she was extremely aware of her surroundings and the people in them.

"Alex, look, I just don't see how he can help us." Norma said quickly. "Besides, I've been doing much better. I really think I can handle this on my own."

"I'm not saying you can't do this on your own." Alex said calmly. He could feel his irritation rising. "I'm saying you shouldn't. This isn't something that just goes away. We need to deal with our grief the right way, Norma."

"How does talking about Caleb or my parents deal with Michael?" Norma hissed. She obviously didn't want to upset Charlotte either.

"Norma, it's not just Michael I want you to talk to Doctor Edwards about." Alex said.

"What do you mean?" Norma questioned.

Alex glared at her and looked around the restaurant to make sure they weren't overheard.

"You were abused as a child. Horribly abused. Exposed to very violent and confusing situations. Your brother… hurt you. Your were in an abusive relationship with Sam. I shot and killed the bastard. Your brother kidnapped you and you were held against your will for a week. Once again exposed to violence and abuse. You can't shake that off, Norma." he said in a low voice.

"Well, I did." Norma said stubbornly. "I was fine after that happened."

Alex tired to stay calm, but it was hard. In a way, he liked this defiant nature in his wife. It was what first attracted him to her. Her eagerness to disagree with everything. It was refreshing and made him feel like the Norma he knew and feel in love with was coming back.

"No one can just shake that off, Norma." he said at last. "I want you to talk to this doctor about your parents and about Caleb."

"No." Norma said.

"You said you'd try. This isn't trying." he scolded.

The waitress brought their food and there was a sudden halt to their conversation.

"What a cute little girl!" their server said after she'd placed their food down.

Charlotte didn't appreciate the interruption or the flattery, she gave off a slight cry that commanded attention from her mother.  
"Thank you." Alex said to their server and tried to smile. He liked hearing how beautiful his daughter was, but just now he agreed with the baby. They wanted to be left alone.

He glanced at Charlotte gratefully. Norma was soothing the infant with a pacifier, a thing Alex could never maneuver the baby into taking. He watched with interest at Norma's magical touch when it came to babies. Charlotte taking the pacifier and not spitting it back out immediately.

"Where did you learn to do that?" he asked. He was suddenly very curious about her natural gifts for domestic harmony. In all things home and children, Norma seemed to excel.

"I'm not sure." she admitted and kept on eye on the baby to make sure she was satiated. "I think I just, I don't know, picked it up here and there."

Alex watched as Charlotte looked steadily at her mother. Her focus only on Norma and Norma's focus only on the baby.

"It wasn't my idea to have Dylan so young." she said finally turning to eat her lunch. "But that's how it happened."

"He's turning out alright." Alex offered.

"Except for the hair pulling." Norma reminded him.  
"Which I will talk to him about. Again." Alex said quickly.

He saw that Norma wasn't eating her lunch. Her expression worried.

"I'll talk to him." Alex said again. "It's just a phase. He doesn't know how to be around girls."

"It's not that." Norma said.

"You don't want to go back to see Doctor Edwards?" he concluded.

"I told you I'd try, Alex. I don't know if I can do this." she said. Her voice sad and seeming to break. "I don't think I don't think I can sit in that office and tell him all the horrible things about me. I've worked very hard to remove myself from that life. I've made an effort not to feel like the victim and to be better."

"I know." Alex assured her. "I'm amazed you've been able to come this far. To move past that. I still think it would benefit you to see this doctor."

"You think reopening old wounds will help me?" she accused. "Help our family?"

They both looked at Charlotte who was already asleep. Alex noticed for the first time she had his pronounced eyelashes. Her long black lashes resting against her pale skin made her sleeping face look very doll like.

"I want you to go back." Alex said. "I don't have to be there if you don't want. You might feel more comfortable if you go alone. I need you to do this, Norma."

"Sheriff?" came a familiar voice.

Alex looked up and saw Deputy Perez, in regular clothes, had approached their table. Her wide, toothy smile faltered slightly when she glanced at Norma.

"Deputy." Alex nodded. He felt the social protocol to introduce his wife to Deputy Perez. Although he didn't like the interruption or the fact Perez chose to bother him on his day off.  
"Norma, this is Deputy Alisha Perez, she works at the station. Deputy, this is my wife Norma." he said efficiently. He nodded to each woman in turn and saw Norma looked taken off guard by the female deputy.

"Well, and your daughter to!" Perez said with a bright smile and looked at the sleeping baby beside Norma.

"Yes." Alex said coldly.

He saw Norma throw him a look for being rude.  
"Her name is Charlotte." she said and put on her fake, PR smile.

"Very pretty." Deputy Perez said awkwardly. "She's a beautiful baby. You must be so proud."

"Yes, we've decided to keep her." Norma said. Her fake smile back in full force. Alex wondered how she did it. It was nearly impossible for him to pretend to be happy. He never smiled unless he meant it.

"Well, I don't blame you." Perez said. Alex suspected she was also giving a fake smile. "I'll let you both have your lunch, but it was very nice meeting you."

Alex felt the tension leave when his female deputy did.

"She's very pretty." Norma commented.

Alex looked at Charlotte.  
"I know, we already agreed she would be." he said. How could Charlotte not be attractive? It made him a little worried that he had this precious, beautiful daughter in a world that could be so horrible sometimes.

"I meant your deputy." Norma said cooly.  
"Perez?" Alex question.

"No, Washington." Norma said smartly. "Yes, I mean Perez."

"Norma," Alex looked behind him to make sure they weren't overheard. "don't do the jealous thing. I have to work around female deputies. That's not going to change."

"I don't say I was jealous." Norma responded. She finally started to eat her lunch which made Alex happy. She had lost almost all of the baby weight very quickly and it worried him.

"Well, I promise Deputy Perez isn't someone you need to worry about." he said.  
"I always worry about you, Alex." she said sadly. "I can't help it."

"Well, you can cross me fooling around with another woman off the list." he said quickly. He made sure to make eye contact with Norma when he said this.

Her eyes were always very beautiful, but were very sad today. They were the same color blue as the sky in springtime. When the world was beautiful, but it wouldn't last.

"What else do you worry about?" he asked. He was curious when she said that she always worried about him. He had thought she wasn't the kind of person to worry too much. Norma was always so brave and self reliant.  
She shrugged.  
"Your job, the way you eat junk food and think I don't know." she said.  
"I don't eat junk food."

"I found your stash, Alex."

"Oh."

"I mean, I worry about you getting shot again. I worry what the kids and I will do without you. If you get killed. I mean, the boys love you so much and Charlotte will need you." she went on. "I worry that something terrible is coming. That we're just putting off the inevitable. That no matter how hard we try, we're just not meant to have our happy ending."

"Norma." Alex said calmly. "We are meant to be happy. We are going to choose to be happy."

She looked sad, but nodded.

"I want you to talk to Doctor Edwards about these things." he said.

Norma looked annoyed.

"Please?" he asked.

"Fine, but if I don't want to talk about my past, I won't." she dictated.

Alex was about to agree when Charlotte woke up, spat out her pacifier and started to cry.


	135. Chapter 135

135.

~ Alex's phone had been ringing all day. The worst had happened. Again.

Another child had gone missing. Once more, it seemed she had failed to arrive safely at home from school. There was just a few more days left of the school year and parents would be in a panic that there was a child predator loose in White Pine Bay.

"It's been over two years since Gemma Harper was murdered. Just a few months since Billy Westwood vanished. We still have no leads at all on what happened to him." George said darkly. The Mayor himself had paid another visit to the Sheriff's office with the news of another child missing.

Romero looked at Mayor Helden.

"Oh, and I'm sorry I forgot Norma's son. He was kidnapped to. Thank God he was found." George said.

The mayor sat across from the sheriff's desk as the two men discussed to new predicament. Romero noticed that George wasn't looking so good these days. His sister's death, his brother going on trial for murder, it was taking it's toll. George hadn't shaved in a few days and his clothes were wrinkled. Romero decided not to correct the Mayor on the slip up of referring to Norman as Norma's son only.

"How have you been, George?" Alex asked.

The mayor looked up in surprise and the sheriff saw he was obviously missing sleep these days.

"Not great, Alex." George admitted. "It's too hard being in that house. Where Christine died, like she did. Josh is recovering from the surgery very well. The new medication is working. He's lucid most days. I don't know how the trial will play out."

"Have you thought about moving? To a new house?" Alex offered. "Maybe one of those lofts they gentrified downtown."

George shook his head.

"No. I… I don't see myself living anywhere but at the house I shared with my sister." he said sadly.

Alex didn't know what to say to make the mayor feel better. Even though George and Norma had been engaged to get married, even though he had worked for Bob Paris, Romero genuinely liked George Helden. He liked him as a mayor and liked him as a person.

George looked a little lost in his own thoughts but then snapped back to reality.  
"I know it's hard for people to understand our relationship." the mayor said. "But Christine has been with me my entire life. I've never enjoyed being away from her. Not being able to talk to her. She was always the dominant in our relationship. Always the social butterfly. It was the agreement we made in utero."

Mayor Helden smiled at that last part.

Alex must have given him a curious look because George explained.

"Christine and I are… we… um… we **were** twins." he said.

Alex leaned back in his chair. His thoughts immediately going to Charlotte and Michael. Romero thought about his lost son everyday. Even if it was just for a moment.

Norma and Alex were both concerned for Charlotte over the loss of her twin. How it would effect her growing up with a missing part of herself.

"I didn't know that." Romero said gently.

"A lot of people didn't know." George said. "We were so close, I could tell her anything. People, just… they can't understand that bond. Then, when I heard about Norma's loss…"

The Mayor quickly corrected himself.  
"About yours and Norma's loss, sorry, I didn't want to bring it up." he said.

"No, it's alright. We're a little concerned about Charlotte growing up without her twin." Romero told him.  
"I can't imagine growing up without Christine." George told him. "She was a built in best friend."

Both men sat in silence for a while before the mayor decided it was time to focus on the problem at hand.

"So, tell me about this missing girl." George said.

Alex sighed.

"The girl's name is Caitlyn White, she's ten years old, she lives in the meadow. That rundown trailer park by the river."

George nodded that he knew about the poor side of town. The side of town with all the drunks and generally trashy people who's low paying jobs were to cook and clean after the rich snobs of this town.

"The mother, Carla White, reported her daughter missing this morning. Apparently she works nights dancing at the… the gentleman's club, and hadn't seen her daughter since the day before when she saw her getting on the bus for school. She thought Caitlyn was at a friend's house and didn't question it. Caitlyn was at school until dismissal yesterday where she failed to get on the bus. That was the last time she was seen by anyone. That was eighteen hours ago." Romero told the Mayor darkly.

"Damn." George sighed. Mayor Helden rubbed his eyes.  
"I have road blocks. Unfortunately it's the same scenario with Billy Westwood. Too much time has elapsed from when she was last seen till she was reported missing."

"What about the girl's father?" George asked hopefully.

"He lives in New Mexico and according to the mother, hasn't seen their daughter in years. He's got a new wife and everything. Doesn't pay child support for Caitlyn and is under house arrest for domestic assault. He's also receiving government aide for a back injury so I doubt he could have paid someone to kidnap a daughter he doesn't seem to even want."

"Alex, you know that this could mean we have a child predator here in White Pine Bay." George said.  
"I know." Romero agreed. "Billy Westwood, Caitlyn White. Whoever is doing this is targeting kids with bad home lives. Kids who slip through the cracks, who won't be missed for a while."

"We need to hold a press conference. Get word out about Caitlyn White and remind parents to keep track of their kids." George said.  
"We can't say there is a child predator, mayor." Romero warned.  
"Why not?"

"Because we don't want a panic."

"Maybe they need to panic a little, Sheriff." George said. "This is the second child to vanish in just a few months. Under your watch, I might add."

"Mayor, I can only work with what I have." Romero snapped. "I have two mothers who don't exactly keep up with their children and who took more than twelve hours to even realize their child was missing. It's next to impossible to find a missing child alive after the first forty-eight hours."

"Then you better get started." George said and stood up. Romero stood with him and both men, not liking the situation but still respected each other, decided on what action to take next.  
"I'll hold a press conference. I'll keep it as low key as I can, but I want the parents to be a little concerned. School is almost over for the year. Think of all the latch key kids in town who's parents work. They'll be home alone. Low hanging fruit for this monster. We need to do something, I'll call social services and see if I can get emergency funding to them for more summer activities. Anything to keep them from being home alone."

"Good idea." Romero agreed. "I've already got boots on the ground securing empty houses."

"The Summers' old house? The motel?" George asked.

Alex nodded.

"First on the list. Why hasn't it been torn down yet, George?" the Sheriff asked.

The Mayor looked annoyed.  
"Ask the state police." he said. "That detective still thinks Norma was more than a victim. Ridiculous. I can only keep denying her requests to collect evidence from my property for so long before she finally gets her warrant. I might have to burn it to the ground in the middle of the night if that what it takes to be done with this."

"I'll bring the matches and gasoline." Alex said.

~ A few hours later, Romero, sick from driving all over town checking with friends and neighbors of Caitlyn White, retreated to his office.

The suspect was right in front of him, but he didn't want to think it was that easy. Caitlyn White attended the same school as Blair Watson. So did Dylan and Norman, for that matter, but Romero had leaned from a few teachers that Blair Watson had been bullying Tammy for a few weeks now.

The teachers thought nothing of it. Blair was a mean girl and that was all it was. Just a case of a rich, snobbish girl being cruel to the poor girl who's mom was a stripper and who had to live in a broken down trailer.

"Sheriff?" Romero looked up from his new reports on and saw Deputy Perez had let himself into his office.

"Next time knock." he said curtly. "What is it?"

"We found blood in the White family trailer." Perez said. "In the girl's room."

"Lab has it?" Romero asked.

Perez nodded.

"I called my buddy in Portland to put a rush on it. He's the lab tech there. Woke him up and everything. This is one of those, it's good to know people situations." she said proudly.

"Did I ask you to do that?" Romero snapped. He didn't mean to sound so rude, but Perez had no business sending samples without telling him first. "We don't send that kind of thing to another county for testing unless I sign off on it. It interferes with the chain of custody."

"Well, we already got them back." Perez said. "It's Caitlyn's blood."

"Wait, how long ago did the tech find the blood in the missing girl's room?" Romero demanded. "Why is this the first I'm hearing about it?"

"I didn't want to bother you till we had something." Perez explained.

"No, you tell your supervisor about any evidence you collect, Deputy." Romero barked.

"I'm sorry." she said and had the decency to look ashamed of herself.

"Don't let it happen again." Romero told her and tried to focus on his paper work.

He felt Perez was still in the office and looked up in annoyance. She had come closer to his desk and looked wistfully at him.

"I am sorry, Sheriff." she said. "I just wanted to help."

"It's fine." Romero said. "It's not the end of the world."

"I just want to help with anything you need." she said meaningfully. "Do you **need** anything, Sheriff?"

Romero knew exactly what she was asking. The darker makeup she had applied, the lipstick and eye shadow. Her leading and meaningful words that could only be taken one way.

He was about to say something when his phone rang.

Grateful for the distraction, hoping it was news about Caitlyn White, Romero answered.

"Alex?" Norma's voice sounded scared.  
"What is it?" he asked. Something was wrong. Just the way she said his name made his heart beat faster with worry.

"Sybil was taken by ambulance to the emergency room just now." she said. Alex could tell she had been crying. "She… she started to have trouble breathing and her chest hurt. I need you to come and be with us. I think this is the end. I don't want her to be alone."


	136. Chapter 136

136.

~ Norma took Sybil's hand and winced at it being so cold. The dying woman looking nothing like the feisty creature she had first met almost three years ago now. Norma took a seat at her bedside and saw how Sybil's sudden downfall had left her emaciated and weak. Her breathing coming hard and even in short little gasps of air.

It felt strange to be holding her young daughter, a new life, on her lap, while also holding the hand of someone so close to death. Norma had no place or sitter available to take Charlotte on such short notice. She had no choice, when the call came, but to take the baby with her to the hospital.

Charlotte looked curiously at Sybil and leaned back against her mother. Norma making sure to hold her baby protectively to her body with the specter of death so near.

"Sorry, I couldn't get here any sooner. I was with a parish member." a stranger said.

Norma looked up to see a young man of about thirty hurry into the room. At first she thought he was a doctor or intern maybe, but he was dressed too nicely to be doing rounds. She didn't know him, but she was certain she had seen him before.

"I don't believe we've met." the visitor said and went over to where Norma was sitting with her daughter on her lap. She had been faithfully at Sybil's bedside since she arrived.

"I'm Pastor Loyd of the Holy Gatherings Church. I'm Sister Lawson's minister." he nodded at Sybil who was working so hard to breath. "Beautiful baby." he nodded to Charlotte.  
"Who… who called you?" Norma asked.

"Well, Brother Helden called me when he heard the ambulance had taken her." the young pastor admitted.

"Oh. I'm Norma Romero." Norma said in confusion. "I… I didn't even know Sybil attended church."

Pastor Loyd smiled gently. He reminded Norma of Doctor Edwards. His manners were very delicate and kind.

"I know our sister doesn't seem the type, but trust me she is a devoted member of our church. She even helps with communion. Her family has been in attendance in the same church, same pew I might add, since it was built in 1912." he said in a soft tone.

Norma watched as Pastor Loyd sat a leather black bag on the table next to Sybil and opened it. She wasn't familiar with religion at all and felt slightly uncomfortable just now. She looked back at Pastor Loyd and now remembered where she had seen him before. He had given the eulogy at Christine's funeral.

"Mrs. Romero, I need to give Sister Lawson last rights and confession. It must be done alone. Will you excuse us?" Pastor Loyd asked in his polite tone that made Norma feel at ease enough to leave the older woman.  
"Of course, I'm sorry." Norma said and carefully placed Sybil's cold hand on her chest. She lifted Charlotte close to her chest and let her daughter rest her head on her shoulder. The baby seeming like she wanted a nap.

She watched at the Pastor, young as he was, drape a purple sash over his shoulders and prepare for a last communion for the old woman.

~ Norma waited outside the room for the Pastor to finish last rights and for Alex to come. It seemed to be taking forever and Sybil wouldn't last much longer. Charlotte falling asleep easily with Norma's pacing the halls.

Finally, Pastor Loyd opened the door and asked her to come back in.  
"She's awake and asking for you." he said.

Norma rushed past him and was back at Sybil's side. The older woman looked happy to see Norma holding the baby.  
"There… you… are, dear." the older woman gasped.

"Your maid called me and said they took you in an ambulance." Norma said calmly.  
"Yes… very exciting." Sybil said dryly.

Norma had to smile at that. Sybil never lost her sense of humor.  
"I called your little bear." Norma said. Tears were filling her eyes but she didn't want to cry in front of the Pastor she had just met. "He's on his way to see you."

"Oh, I love… little bear." Sybil said. She was struggling to breathe now. "I'm… so glad he has you… you take care of… of him, Norma. Be good… be good to him."

"I will." Norma promised.

Sybil nodded to the sleeping baby in Norma's arms. She was glad Charlotte had gotten Alex's natural good looks. Her long eye lashes making her look angelic when she slept.

"Charlotte? She… we finally… have a girl… a girl in the family."

"We do." Norma smiled. She held up a pinky. "She has Alex wrapped around that little finger." she said with a smile.

Sybil looked like she wanted to smile, but was too tired.

"Alex is so good to the boys. He's a good father, Sybil. You don't have to worry about him being like his father." Norma whispered.  
"I… I never worried." Sybil gasped. "Little Bear… he was never like the Old Bear."

The older woman held fast to Norma's hand.  
"Norma, I'm sorry… sorry for what I did. For… for my role… in it. It wasn't right. I know… know that… now." she cried.

"It's okay." Norma tried to sooth her.

"No… no it's not. I… I've condemned myself to hell for it." Sybil wept. "That poor… poor baby. I didn't know it would… that Theresa would… my poor Little Bear."

"I won't tell Alex." Norma whispered. She glanced at Pastor Loyd who looked troubled but not shocked.

"You have to!" Sybil almost choked. "He needs to… to know he still has a mother. Please, Norma… tell him. I found his mother… a long time… long time ago… in a file… in my desk… you can find her… I didn't have… ever have the courage… to tell her… the truth. Even… after I knew… how bad Theresa had gotten."

Norma looked at the Pastor who seemed to understand his cue to calm Sybil at the moment of her death.  
"Sister Lawson, you have repented for your sins and made atonement. The Lord our God will grant you mercy." he said taking Sybil's free hand.

The older woman was breathing hard and Norma felt sick realizing she was dying in front of them.

"I'm afraid." Sybil gasped.

Then, she let out a breath and Norma watched the dark pupils of her eyes grow large. Her body limp as she breathed out her last breath.

"Sybil?" Norma asked. She felt the older woman's sprit leave her body. Whatever made Sybil what she was, had left the shell of the old woman behind and was finally free.

Norma felt the pain of Sybil's absence like a knife in her heart. She had never been without the older woman since she came to this town. Sybil and Alex had always been her constant. Her North Star.

"Sybil?" Norma asked again and felt her face. A face that was rapidly growing as cold as her hands.

Norma looked at the Pastor who seemed to be in silent prayer and decided to bow her head and remain still. Yet, it was in this abyss of silence she felt she might drown. She felt guilt over being angry at Sybil's confession. After everything the older woman had done for her, Norma had no right to judge her for actions she thought was for the best.

And still there was that void in her life now. A life that was less beautiful and safe without Sybil.

Norma was still clutching the old woman's hand when Alex burst into the hospital room.

~ Alex recognized Brian Loyd seated across Norma. He and Brian had gone to school together but had never been close friends. Their paths converging so drastically in life. He knew Brian had become a minister at the old church but knew little else about him. It was still a chock to see him at Sybil's bedside and the old woman looking frightfully pale and still.

' _She couldn't be gone already_.' he thought. He had known the older woman was ill, but he always assumed Sybil Lawson couldn't die. Her entire family were notoriously hard to kill and had the nasty habit of living forever. Sybil was only 90, she couldn't die at that young age. Not when she was still so needed in their lives.

Alex glanced from Sybil's body to Pastor Loyd and to Norma who gave him a sad look and nodded.

"She's gone, Alex." his wife said.

~ "Did you know that the former Mayor Lawson, Sybil's father, was hit by a car in 1941?" Pastor Loyd said with a grin.

Norma and Alex were sitting across from the relaxed looking man of God in the waiting room. They had to sign some papers for the funeral home to take the body and prepare for the service. Charlotte was awake again and happy to be sitting on Alex's lap and being generally admired by the group.

"Was he killed?" Norma gasped.

Bothe Sheriff Romero and Pastor Loyd exchanged knowing looks.

"Of course not!" they said in unison and smiled.

"No. He wasn't even hurt. Pearl Harbor had just been attacked and a local woman had become convinced we were about to be invaded. She packed up her Hudson Hornet and tried to run out of town. Ran a stop sign and hit the Mayor with her car. Kept on driving. Mayor Lawson got right back up and went to get his shoes. Apparently the impact knocked them off." Pastor Loyd told her.

"What?" Norma said in surprise. "How was that possible?"

Alex shrugged.

"It was impossible to kill Mayor Lawson." he said. "I heard during the depression a man tried to shoot him."

Pastor Loyd nodded. Apparently he had heard this story to. One of the local folk lore about the family.

"Oh yes, went into his office and shot at the Mayor three times at close range. All three bullets missed." the Pastor grinned. "Everyone laughed because the assailant was such a bad shot."  
"Oh, then there was Sybil's mother who was caught in a snow storm in her car for three days." Alex said.  
"Three days?" Norma gasped.

"Oh yes." the Pastor smiled. "Horrible storm came in and snowed the whole bay in. Mrs. Lawson was caught on the highway and ran into a ditch. Her car was partly buried in the snow. She stayed in her car for three days until she was found. Everyone thought she was dead. Except for Mayor Lawson that is. He told them his wife would be home soon and not to worry."

"My father told me when they found her, she was sitting in the back seat of her car reading a book. She told him she enjoyed the alone time but was hungry." Alex added.  
"Your dad found her?" Norma smiled. Mrs. Lawson must have already have been an older woman by then. Amazing she survived such on ordeal.

Alex shrugged and let Charlotte grip tightly to his fingers. The baby already wanting to play with other people's hands. Norma suspected it was a trait she inherited from Alex.

"He was useful sometimes." The Sheriff admitted sadly.

"If Sister Lawson wasn't such a smoker, I'm sure she would have outlived all of us." Pastor Loyd told them.  
"I'm sure she would to." Alex agreed.

"What else did Sybil's family do?" Norma asked. She was suddenly very curious about the oldest family in White Pine Bay. A family that was now gone with it's last member dying.  
"What didn't they do?" Alex said sourly.

"Aside from holding pubic office, Mayor Lawson was a lawyer and landlord." Pastor Loyd explained. "He and his wife were passionately devoted to the Rosevelt family. They helped the community weather the depression and the second world war. They built the Lawson Memorial Library and community center. This town wouldn't exist without them."

"It's certainly going to be hard to replace Sybil." Alex agreed.

"I can only imagine how difficult your department is now, Sheriff." the Pastor admitted. "Another child missing."

"What?" Norma asked. Her attention now on this latest development.

"That didn't take long." Alex sighed.

"Yes, news travels fast here." the Pastor agreed.

"What happened?" Norma questioned.

Alex turned to her and handed over the baby.

"It seems another little girl never came home from school." he said wearily.  
"What?" Norma gasped. Her instincts as a mother kicking in and she held Charlotte close to her chest.

"Dylan and Norman?" her husband questioned.  
"At school." Norma said automatically. "They get out in an hour."

"The staff there have already been alerted and I'll have people making sure the children get on busses. George is going to hold a press conference soon. He's going to avoid the term 'Child Predator' in his speech." Alex explained.

"After what happened to Billy Westwood?" Pastor Loyd asked.

Alex nodded.

"I need to go back to work. I'll call if I'm going to be late. Pick the boys up and keep them indoors." the Sheriff ordered and kissed his wife and daughter goodbye.


	137. Chapter 137

137.

~ Alex didn't attend the Mayor's press conference. He heard later that it was a chaotic mess of leading questions and over eager reporters who wanted the headliner to be serial child abductor. George had handled it as well as should be expected.

Instead, he found himself at Sybil's mansion after checking back in and hearing the latest reports. Caitlyn White's home had been throughly searched, all her friends and classmates had been questioned and no one had any idea where she was.

Alex had driven around town for a while before school let out. He knew the news of another missing child would break soon and all the parents of White Pine Bay would be in a panic. All of them would be demanding that he do something.

Only this time, he had no convenient scapegoat like Caleb Calhoun. No boogie man to present to the public to satisfy them that the bad guy had been caught and their children were safe.

Romero was surprised to find himself in front of Sybil's house. He didn't know what made him come there. It was so hard to think of her as dead now. She had been with him his entire life.

Sybil lived in a stunningly beautiful mansion in the historic part of town. The Lawson house had been the jewel of the elite neighborhood and it still gleamed brighter than ever. It was a built just after the Great War and had been well maintained. It's red bricks and stained glass windows were all original and Alex knew the inside was like a museum dedicated to White Pine Bay. He knew this because he had lived with Sybil after his mother had to go to Pine View.

Not that he minded it that much. He had liked Sybil and liked having a nice home to live in. Especially with the pool out back. Sybil had never even changed the locks after he left and he still had a key to her front door.

It did feel a little odd being in the old mansion without Sybil there. Knowing she was never coming back. The house felt expectant somehow. A presence was defiantly in the air and he could feel it all around him. As though he was being watched from unseen places. It was the same feeling he'd always gotten when he'd been in the Summers' house. Like the house was still waiting for it's occupants to return home.

He knew the way to Sybil's office past the formal dinning room and kitchen. He turned on the lights and saw Sybil's house keeping routine hadn't changed much over the years. The maid wasn't allowed to come in the home office and so it was a cluttered bird's nest of papers and files about all the children of White Pine Bay. Alex was searching for one child in particular.

Sheriff Romero was surprised to see that Sybil had an actual system to keep everything in order. Sure there were stacks and heaps of papers, but they were mostly court documents that had nothing to do with anything. Once Alex had weeded through the labyrinth of clutter that would have made Norma scream in terror, he was able to see the Sybil had kept each child's records categorized by decade. A useful system for a woman as old as she had been. Alex pulled out the large drawer for this decade and quickly found Caitlyn White. It was a good size file on the missing girl. She had been in the system since she was three. Sybil herself had taken the girl away from her mother until she'd done treatment for alcohol addiction. Once the court was satisfied the mother could provide a safe home for her daughter, she was returned.

Alex read about the updated visits and the men in and out of the mother's life. It sounded like a very grim, sad childhood with and even bleaker future.

Learning nothing he didn't already know, Romero turned to the other cases in the social worker's file cabinet. What he was doing was illegal and he couldn't use any of the information, but hopefully it would provide a lead of some kind. She had to be here… Blair Watson had to be here.

Then, as if he'd wished it, Alex laid his had on Blair Watson's file.

~ Nick Ford was waiting for Sheriff Romero in the old cemetery just as he promised. No one was around to see them in this older, overgrown part. That was good. It wouldn't benefit either of them to be seen together.

Alex pulled up a little ways away from Nick Ford's luxury car and decided it was best to walk. The old man, looking especially vicious and cruel today glared at Alex as if he were a troublesome employee.

"Hello, Alex." he said at last.

Romero didn't bother with a greeting. Instead he looked around the old cemetery to make sure they were alone and then back at Ford.  
"Caitlyn White is missing." the Sheriff said at last. "She's a little girl here in town. A little girl who's gone missing."

"That's supposed to mean something to me?" Ford barked.

"It should." Alex said. "I have witness statements saying that your daughter Blair was bullying her."

"So?" Ford said.

Alex waited a few moments before revealing his other cards.  
"Seems Blair has a history. A history of violence." he said carefully.

"Meaning?" Ford growled.

Romero looked indifferent.

"Meaning she was kicked out of three private schools for extreme violence to her classmates. One girl was hit so hard with a crow bar she lost an eye. That's why she's here now, because you knew no one would say no to your daughter going to school here. That you'd cover up her past." he said.

"What are you getting at, Alex?" Nick Ford asked.

"Do you know if your daughter did anything to Caitlyn White?" Romero said calmly. He felt a slight prickle of fear running down his spine. No one talked to Nick Ford this way. Not even Wilson would dare. But Ford's empire was crumbling beneath his feet. He was losing ground with the DEA raids and that pesky ledger Rebecca had put together.

"Why would you think that?" Ford asked.  
"Because I think she killed Gemma Harper." Alex admitted.  
"I thought that psychopath Caleb Calhoun killed Gemma Harper." Ford said easily.

"New evidence has come to light. Evidence that implicates Blair. That, and her tendencies to violently attack female classmates she feels are inferior to her."

"Blair would never kill anyone."  
"Are you sure about that?"

"I know exactly what my daughter is, Alex." Ford snapped and Alex took a step back. Romero was well aware that Ford could easily have him eliminated. Or worse, his family.

"What she's capable of." Ford said at last. "If I thought she had anything to do with this, I'd put a stop to it."

"I'm asking as a curtesy, that you let me search the house." Romero said.  
"No."

"Fine. Then I'll get a warrant."

"On what grounds?" Ford challenged "If you had anything more than suspicions, you would have done something before now."

"Gemma Harper was held for days before she was found. She was found a short distance from the house your daughter and mistress live in. Caitlyn could still be alive. You really want that little girl's death on your hands?" Romero asked.

Ford didn't fall for it.

"If I thought there was an ounce of truth to this ridiculous story, I would handle it, Sheriff. You need to watch yourself. You've made a lot of enemies here with your antics. Rebecca Hamilton's ledgers may have thinned out the trouble makers, but they didn't cast out the big fish." the older man said.

"I'm sure I'll make a lot more enemies before I'm done." Romero said cooly. "In the meantime, I suggest you have a word with your daughter. Because the DEA is going to be the least of your problems if Caitlyn White turns up dead."

Ford shrugged and turned to leave.

"I was sorry to hear about Sybil passing this afternoon. I know you were close." he said.

~ Alex tried to fight the headache coming on. He didn't want to go home, or sit here in his office. He was tired of pouring over witness statements which would lead to nothing.

When his desk phone rang, he considered not answering it. He knew who it would be.

"Were you thinking of coming home soon?" Norma asked gently.

"Soon." Alex agreed.

"I know today has been hard."

"Understatement." he sighed.

"The good news is that Sybil had planed and paid for her funeral about twenty years ago. All we have to do is attend." Norma told him.  
"That's good." he said sourly.

"No news on the missing girl?"

"None."

"Sheriff, come home. You need to eat dinner and get some rest."

"I'm not in a good mood right now, Mrs. Romero."

"All the more reason you need to come home and see your wife." she said sweetly. "The boys set up that tent in the back yard and I just put the baby to sleep."

Alex had to smile. He couldn't help it. With her pregnancy being so high risk, with the difficult labor and delivery, losing Michael and Norma's recovery, they had lost so much intimacy over the past few months. Alex had kept his distance and kept his own needs quite in the face of their monumental loss, but he missed her.

It was nice to hear his wife might want to be with him again. Her voice coming over the phone like a siren song that made him remember how easy it was to love her and how much he needed her again.

He glanced at one of Sybil's older files and decided to let it be for now.

"I'm coming home now." he said.

"See you soon, Sheriff." Norma said teasingly and he heard her end of the line click off.

Alex picked up the yellowed folder from his desk. An odd piece of paperwork from the year and month he was born. A mysterious relic from Sybil's desk that he had found by accident. The only reason he noticed it at all was that had his name written all over it.

 **Sorry it took so long. Hubby insists on watching GOTHAM on Mondays. Loving all the feedback and want to hear more. Let me know what you want to happen, guys. Lots of love and power to you. ~ Leah**


	138. Chapter 138

138.

~ Alex checked on the young occupants of the tent in the back yard before going into the house. Dylan and Norman had obviously set it up as soon as Norma had given it to them. Alex had to admit, the boys had done a decent job. Their makeshift camp sight was littered with toy trucks and plastic dinosaurs from their afternoon of hard work.

Sheriff Romero knelt down beside the opening of the tent when he saw a flashlight turn on inside. The zippered front parted and Dylan stuck his head out.  
"Good evening, young man." Alex said. "I'm going to assume you have a permit to camp here."

"Mom said it was okay." Dylan told him.  
"Permission from the owner. I see." Romero said and nodded towards a figure already covered up in a cozy sleeping bag. "Are you and Norman going to sleep out here all night?"

"Yes." Dylan said happily.

"You have enough previsions?"

"What's that?"

Alex smiled.

"Food and water." he told the child.

"Mom made a big dinner. I can't eat any more." Dylan said.

Alex was glad to hear that. Norma's go to trick for getting the boys asleep quickly was to cook a large meal for them. It always seemed to work.

"What if there's a bear attack?" Sheriff Romero asked.  
"Rocky and Apollo will chase them off." Dylan said. The little boy opened the flap of the tent and Alex peered in to see the two big dogs were laying comfortably between Dylan and Norman.

"Very good plan." Romero said.

"The school said Caitlyn White is missing." Dylan whispered. His blue eyes, Norma's eyes, were wide with the need to be consoled.  
"She is." Alex said after trying to think of something comforting to say. "Does it make you scared someone might want to take you?"

"Someone did take me." Dylan whispered.

Alex had almost forgotten about Caleb taking Dylan from school. It had been so quickly resolved, the whole town had already forgotten about it in favor of the more epic kidnapping of Norma and her youngest son.

"I know." Alex whispered. "Does it scare you someone might try to take you again?"

"You told us never to get into a car with a stranger. Even if he says he knows us." Dylan said. "Even if he says you or mom were hurt. Even if he says you or mom told him to pick us up."

"That's right." Alex nodded. "What do you do if someone tries to get you in their car?"

"Yell, this isn't my dad really loud and run away." Dylan told him.  
"Good." Alex said.

"What's going to happen to Caitlyn?" Dylan asked.

"I don't know, son." Alex whispered sadly.

"She's a nice girl."

"She is?"

"Yes, she tells funny jokes."

"Do you ever see Caitlyn getting bullied or picked on by the other girls?" Alex asked curiously.

"Yes. Because she's poor." Dylan said honestly. "Those mean girls call her mom a bad name, but Mrs. White is nice. She always plays rock and roll music in her car when she picks Caitlyn up from school."

"Who are the mean girls again? I forget." Alex asked.  
"Tracy, Jessica… and Heather." Dylan said.

"What about that one girl. What was her name? Blair something?"

"Blair Watson?" Dylan asked.

"Yeah. You ever see her being mean to Caitlyn?"

"No. She not like she used to be. She still is friends with the other mean girls, but she's different now." Dylan said.  
"How?"

"He tried to stop the girls from hitting Caitlyn. The teachers broke it up and I think they just thought they were all picking on her, but I haven't seen Blair being mean to anyone in a long time." Dylan said honestly.  
"That's good to know." Alex said.

Dylan nodded.

Romero took a deep breath and looked towards the house. Every light inside was off except for the master bedroom.  
"Son, your mother and I are going to go to bed early tonight. We've both had a long day." he explained. Romero tried to keep his voice from sounding too excited and hopeful. He tried to make it seem like he was exhausted and would have to go to sleep soon.

"Okay." Dylan said innocently.

"So if you have to come inside, don't bother us. Because we'll be asleep. Understand?" Alex asked.

Dylan nodded.  
"Okay."

"If you need to use the bathroom I'll just leave the backdoor unlocked." Alex said.

"It's okay, we've been going behind the barn." Dylan told him.

Alex closed his eyes and tried not to grin at the freedom of youth.

"That's fine, but don't tell your mother. Women don't like that." he said.

"Why?"

"Because they just don't." Alex said.

"Alright."

Romero spent a few minutes to make sure Dylan and Norman would be fine outside for the night before letting himself into the house. He sensed the baby was still asleep when he heard how quite everything was and saw his wife leaning over Charlotte's crib in their room. She was wearing that long dressing robe he had always liked on her. Her trim figure coming back quickly after giving birth over a month ago.

"I just put her down." Norma whispered when she noticed he had come in.

Alex smiled at the beautiful sight of his wife tucking their baby in. Norma, obsessive over every detail of Charlotte's comfort. He couldn't have picked a better mother for his child than Norma. Charlotte would never be neglected for even a moment. She would never go without clean clothes or a lunch for school. She would always be dressed nicely and would always come home to a clean home. Charlotte would never be embarrassed to bring his friends to her home. Neither would Dylan or Norman. Their lives would be so much different than Alex's and Norma's had been. Their children's lives would be better.  
"When do you think she'll sleep through the night?" Alex asked in a whisper. He was looking forward to the day when the baby wouldn't cry at all hours to be fed.

Norma rolled her eyes.

"Norman didn't sleep through the night till we moved here and Sam was gone." she told him. "Dylan took almost a year."

Alex let out a slight gasp of surprise. He had hoped it would just be a few more months with Charlotte. Norma had been able to expertly train the baby on a sleep and eat schedule. Yet, Charlotte still woke up about every three hours. Norma easily attending to her needs because she had started to sleep in the nursery. All so Alex wouldn't be disturbed. It was practical, yet he missed Norma's presence in bed with him. He missed the way her hair smelled after she washed it. Missed how she kicked him in the middle of the night and sometimes had bad dreams. Dreams that would leave her crying in her sleep and cause her to curl up in his arms until the bad things that were haunting her were chased away.

"She's going to stay in here?" Alex whispered and nodded to the snoozing baby.

"We'll be fine for a few hours, Sheriff." Norma said and he felt his heart skip a beat at the way she smiled at him. Her arms wrapping around his waist as her body molded into his.

Alex automatically pulled her as close to him as possible. His hands clasping over her backside as though he couldn't stop them. He buried his head on her shoulder in gratitude at the affection.  
"I'm sorry today was so hard." she whispered.

"It's Gemma Harper and the Westwood boy all over again." he admitted.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked.  
"No." he said quickly and his lips moved over her hair and started kissing her ear and neck.

He felt the vibration of her giggling as his breath tickled her delicate skin.  
"It's not that I'm not interested, Sheriff." she whispered. "But it might be a little too soon for me."

"I understand." he said eagerly. She didn't have to tell him that it was to soon for them to return to the passionate lovemaking they had enjoyed before the baby came. Before losing Michael and all that horrible grief the seemed to plague them both. A grief that they still couldn't shake off.

"We can pump the breaks whenever you want." he whispered in her ear but wouldn't stop kissing her. When he attacks her lips, his greedy hands once more pulling at her hips like he wanted their bodies to merge together, he felt her weaken under his touch.

She always gave into him when they kissed. It was like she couldn't help herself from becoming some helpless creature under his affection. He wouldn't release her, not even for a second. He felt he waited so long, months now, for her. For a kiss that was more than just a simple peck on his way out the door. He missed this. Missed this beautiful affection that they shared so well.

He could feel his blood start to race and grow hot. His hands, ever wanting to hold her, moving to the waist that had slimmed down nicely since the birth of their daughter.

"Did you check on the boys, Sheriff?" Norma whispered when she finally managed to break free of his kiss. Romero slightly angry she had pulled away from him. Angry that she would make him pursue her now.

Her body, beautiful and rich with life, was trying to get away from him. She was trying to back away towards their bed.

"Come here." he ordered softly and quickly caught her again, preventing her near escape. Her body was pulled towards his with ease and he was looking longingly at her lips.

"I checked on the boys, Mrs. Romero." he told her in a husky voice that simply said, not to ask again. "They're fine. Do you want me to lock the door?"

His mouth was gently caressing her check and his hands had already started to undo her powder blue robe. Her night gown was typical of the woman he'd chosen to be his wife. A comfortable granny style night dress that was accented with lace and blue ribbons. It wasn't frumpy, and he delighted in seeing her beautiful figure through the sheer fabric. Their daughter's birth seeming to accentuated softer curves on her body.

"Might not be a bad idea, Sheriff." she whispered back.

He didn't have to be told twice. In a second, he'd abandoned her to secure their bedroom from intruders. Both of them agreeing it was a good idea to have a lock and deadbolt on the master bedroom door. Also telling the boys their room was entirely off limits to children didn't hurt either.

He looked back at his wife and felt his breath catch. She was smiling that wide, hopeful smile at him. Her perfect teeth beaming and seeming to beckon him towards her.

He didn't need another invitation and his arms found her body in just a few short steps. Feeling reckless and excited, he lifted Norma up over his shoulder as though she were a spoil of war, and she let out a soft cry of surprise.

"Alex!" she hissed in delight. Her face bright with happiness before her deposited her carefully on their bed. His lips, once more finding hers before he started to pull off his clothes.

How he longed to be naked with her. How badly his need was for the feel of her bare skin on his. He wanted her naked breasts to be exposed and wanted her skin to flush with heat and excitement.

No sooner was his shirt off, his shoes careless kicked aside and his hands going to the sheer fabric of her night dress than Norma pulled away.  
"Maybe we should slow down a little." she offered breathlessly.

Alex leaned back. His own breath coming hard and his body so alive he wasn't sure he'd ever lived before now.  
He saw Norma's apologetic face and instantly felt he had moved too fast.

"Sorry." he gasped. His breathing still coming too fast and his need for her too insistent to ignore.

"Maybe… maybe just kissing?" she asked. Her hands going towards the night gown he was still trying to pull off her.

Alex let go of the fabric and let his hands rest on her hips.

"Okay." he breathed and tried to not be disappointed. "Kissing… kissing is nice."

Norma gave him a worried smile and he leaned into her and kissed her softly on the lips.

It was too good to leave it there. Her lips, her body, her smell. It all felt too good. Too beautiful and perfect. It was like he had abstained from a drug for so long, that the high he was getting now was better than ever.

Effortlessly, he rolled his beautiful bride onto their bed. His body coming to rest over hers, yet careful of any tenderness she might still be feeling. His lips reluctant to leave her's even for a moment. His need for her, the excitement building inside his body wouldn't be so easily ignored.

He only managed to pull away from her long enough to whisper the purest truth he knew at that moment.

"I've missed you."

 **Sorry it took so long to post. I promise I'll get back into the swing of erotica soon. It's been a hard summer for me.**


	139. Chapter 139

139.

~ Alex was always an exceptional lover. Norma had never really known what it was like to be so fully in tune with another human being on a physical level. Her skin grew hotter with each kiss he gently brushed on her lips.

It wasn't that she didn't want to be with him in this way again, it was just that it all felt too soon. Too soon since that awful night she had lost Michael. All that blood and pain. The way her body was ready to give up and die along with him.

Even now, when she remembered the horror of having to deliver her stillborn son, she could feel her body tense up and recoil at Alex's touch.

"What wrong?" he whispered. His lips gently caressing her neck.

Norma gave off a shudder. She couldn't help it. The memory was still too new. She couldn't shake it off and pretend her body didn't remember. Her body remembered the way Michael felt when she thought he was still alive and moving. Doctor Bloch had called it phantom fetal movement. That Michael had been dead inside her for at least a day.

Norma felt slightly panicked by that idea and she winced when Alex tried to kiss her again. His warm body with it's comforting weight suddenly felt awkward and painful on top of her.

"Norma, what is it?" Alex questioned again. His hands, gentle and protective as always brushed back her hair so he could observe her face easier.

"I'm sorry." she breathed. Her hands moving over her chest in a defensive position. "I… I just…"

"It's okay." he said patiently. "If it's too soon."

"It's not you." she told him honestly. "I just… I don't know what it is."

"Norma we went through a trauma. A terrible loss." he whispered. He rolled off of her but his arms kept her pulled close to him, making her rest on her side so they could look each other in the eye.

"I feel like it's more than that. I went through a loss after what happened to my parents in that awful house. I didn't feel this way. It just feels like… like losing Michael is going to stay with me." she admitted at last. "I keep feeling… **physically** feeling what it was like."

She looked back at her husband and saw his expression was sad. He said nothing, and let her keep talking.  
"I know, Alex, I know I should be grateful. We have Charlotte and she's here and she's beautiful and healthy. We could have easily lost both of them." she sniffed and tried not to cry. The tears coming shamefully down anyway. "I should be happy, because we were so lucky to even have her. That we're lucky I survived it to. That we're lucky all of us have made it this far. Everything that's happened since we came here. We're so lucky that we're all still here and we're together. That we love each other and we're a family. It's not right that I should expect anymore."

Alex was pushing back an errant lock of hair. He kept quite and let her keep talking.  
"I think I want to go back to see Doctor Edwards." she said after she had allowed herself to cry a little. "I mean, I've been trying to be happy. I've been trying to be happy because I know how lucky I am. It's so hard sometimes. Reminding yourself to be happy and thankful."

She wiped the tears from her eyes and contemplated her new decision.  
"But I won't talk to him about my parents or Caleb. Only about Michael. My family before now was… a horror show." she said defiantly. "I won't make myself relive that. Not when I've worked so hard to move past it. I've worked so hard to be a better person. To make a better life than the one I'd grown up in. It won't do any good to reopen old wounds."

She nodded slightly. Happy with her decision.

Alex waited for her to continue, and when she said nothing else, he finally spoke.  
"I think that's a good idea." he said. "I can go with you if you want. Or you can go alone. We're going to do what ever we have to do, Norma. For as long as we have to do it."

"I'm worried all this therapy will remind you of what happened to your mom." she admitted in a guilty whisper. She had never dared said such a thing out loud before.

Alex smiled.  
"No." he said simply. "No, my mother had chronic depression. It was left untreated for too long. You're not the kind of person to just ignore a problem and hope it gets better on it's own."

"What if Doctor Edwards puts me on medication? They made me so… sedated. It was like I didn't care about anything." she whispered.

"We'll cross that bridge if and when we come to it." he told her simply. "If we need medication, we won't settle for anything less than the right one."

"I'm sorry, I'm not ready to… be intimate yet." she said and sat up in bed. Alex's hand on her hip was making her uncomfortable. His touch, always so electric before felt unwanted just now. Her body not wanting any physical affection from him, only to have his presence with her.

Her husband seemed to understand that and moved away a little when he sat across from her in their bed. She felt slightly embarrassed to have pushed him away like she had. A sense of guilt clouding over her at the knowledge that any woman would be so grateful to have him as a husband. Any woman would want him in their bed, and never push him away.  
"Norma, I love you." he said without preamble. "There are somethings that can never change. My love for you is one of them. I don't know what I would do without you and I hope I'll never find out. I will do whatever I have to so that you'll be where you need to be."

Her vision blurred with tears and she nodded.  
"I'm sorry, Alex." she cried softly. "Sometimes, it's just too much."

He was kissing her hands like they were in a fairy tale and suddenly it felt good and comforting to be in his arms again. To breathe in the smell of him and fell his skin on hers. Naturally, as with all good things, it had to end when the baby started crying.

~ "I think we do pretty good work, Mrs. Romero." Alex decided after Norma had fed Charlotte and they had the baby nestled between them in the bed.

Their newest edition to the family showed no signs of wanting to go to back sleep. Instead, Charlotte seemed to want the attention of her parents and was willing to be adorable to get it.

She had a fierce grip on Alex's fingers and seemed to be studying them intently. He noticed that her eyes were a very dark blue. The same color blue as a deep, and fathomless ocean. He was glad Charlotte would have Norma's eye color. The same eye color as her brothers and mother. His daughter looked enough like him already to satiate that male pride in producing offspring. The dark hair she was born with seemed like it was there to stay and her eyelashes, the same trait he was teased mercilessly about as youth were present in his own child. On Charlotte, they would be desirable and enhance her natural beauty. She seemed like she would be blessed with best parts of himself and Norma.

"We defiantly don't make ugly babies, Sheriff." Norma said with a knowing grin. Charlotte's other hand was wrapped tightly around Norma's thumb and the baby was content having her mother and father study her. I was different than when her brother's observed her. Charlotte seemed to understand that she belonged entirely to Norma and Alex. That she was there's and would be theirs forever.

The baby let go of their fingers and flapped her arms up and down, letting lose a cry that could only mean happiness.

"I'm glad Sybil got to see her one last time." Norma said. Her expression sad as she let the baby play with her fingers again. "Seeing the baby made her so happy."

"What did Sybil say to you?" Alex asked. He had been meaning to ask for a while now. The idea that Sybil was truly gone hadn't hit him yet. He half expected the old woman to call him in the morning and tell him it was all a joke.

"She wanted me to take care of you. To be good to you. That she was happy we had this one." Norma said and nodded to Charlotte.

"She always looked after me." Alex admitted. His thoughts were still troubled over the strange documents he had found. The notes from Doctor Bloch and the reports from a private investigator were confusing. "I still can't believe she's really gone."

"We'll have a nice service for her." Norma told him. "I already spoke with Pastor Loyd."

"Danny?" Alex questioned. "I went to school with him."  
"Well, who didn't you go to school with?" Norma accused.  
"Good point."

"I was thinking I might want to attend services." she said meekly. "Take the boys and Charlotte."

"I'm not a church person… anymore." Alex said as an excuse.  
"I know." she said. "I know it's the same church your mother took you to."

"I haven't been back there since her funeral." Alex confessed. "It's why I wanted to have Michael's service at the funeral home."

"Sybil's will be at the church." Norma told him. "She was a life long member."

"Fine." Alex sighed. "But I'm not going to go again."

"Fine." she said. "But I like pastor Loyd and I want the boys to feel more connected spiritually."

Charlotte, realizing her parents weren't paying attention to her, cried at the injustice of it. Norma smiled at her baby and leaned in to kiss her cheek, Alex quickly following her example. The baby, easily satisfied by this affection seemed to understand that if cried, she got her way, and stored this useful information away for later use.

 **I changed Pastor Loyd's first name from Brian to Danny after a reader pointed out that Brian was also the name of the murdered Summers child.**


	140. Chapter 140

140.

~ The death of Sybil Lawson hit the community of White Pine Bay harder than Alex expected. True, her family helped to found the town and she had been apart of a grand tradition of Lawsons' who worked tirelessly to improve the lives of the people here. Many citizens believing White Pine Bay had taken a turn for the worst after the former Mayor Lawson passed away in the late seventies. Now that Sybil was gone, a tenacious bulldog for the under privileged, what would happen to the less fortunate?

Alex was a little surprised to see Sybil's passing had made front page news. The article even included old pictures of her from the twenties. Strange to see the formidable old woman looking like any other girl. He had only known her as most of the people here knew her. A chain smoking gargoyle who refused to be pushed around by anyone.

Romero felt the sting then. A pain that he would never see Sybil again. Never be able to talk to her again. Hear her raspy voice. Smell that awful nicotine on her clothes. He had to remind himself that now was not the time to cry for Sybil. He was at work and people would see. He could cry alone when he was at home. The same way he'd cried over his mother's loss.

It would have been strange that nothing was mentioned about Caitlyn White in the paper. Some might have said it was because Sybil was rich and Caitlyn was poor. Sybil had strong roots in the community and her family was respectable. Caitlyn's family were either in prison or dancing at strip club.

People might have said that if Caitlyn was still missing, or had turned up dead. Instead, there was just a byline on page two with the crime reports. Caitlyn White had been found alive at a truck stop near the Alaskan boarder. Canadian officials had become suspicious when they saw the ten year old alone in what was known to be a dangerous area. Fearing she might be hurt or taken, they picked her up for loitering.

The entire situation was enough to make Romero's blood boil. He pictured Norma's voice in his head.  
' _Can you please just take a breath? She's a stupid girl. She made a mistake_.' his wife said in the conversation in his mind.

 _'Norma, do I need to tell you all the bad things that happen to stupid little girls like her?_ ' he answered back.

' _She ran away from home for a reason, Alex. Find out what that is. Turn on that so called charm of yours and ask how you can help her. Don't go in there acting like you're her dad._ ' Norma advised.

' _I'm glad she's not my daughter!_ ' Alex wanted to shout. He was glad he was alone in his office. Glad no one could hear or see the imaginary conversation he was having with his wife. ' _If she was my daughter, I wouldn't be able to stay calm. Anything could have happened to her. Anything. She could have been taken by a rapist and sold into sex slavery. She could have easily been killed or even worse. We could be picking up her naked body in a ravine somewhere. Her head cut off and God only knows what. No, she better be glad she's not my daughter. My daughter wouldn't ever be that stupid. My daughter wouldn't runaway from home at ten years old and hitchhike over two hundred miles.'_

Alex let out a long breath. It felt good to rant a little. Even if it was only in his head.

' _Alex._ ' his wife's voice came back to him. He knew what she was going to say. He knew it as well as he knew her. ' _You know the situation I was in when I was younger. Maybe she had to get away and this was the only way she knew how. Talk to her. Please? Maybe you can help her. I need you to be the good guy. I need you to be my white knight.'_

Romero stood up. It was frustrating arguing with his wife. Even if the conversation wasn't real.

~ Caitlyn White was waiting in the interrogation room. She wasn't under arrest, but Romero had asked she be brought back to her home town. The officials at the Canadian boarder had already given the girl a medical exam to ensure she was alright. They had assured Sheriff Romero that Caitlyn wasn't hurt physically or sexually.

When he saw the runaway, he had to check the file again to make sure it was her. Caitlyn looked nothing like the school picture her mother provided. True, it was taken about 9 months ago, but Caitlyn had ballooned up in weight and her general appearance was drastically different. Her hair was pulled savagely back and she wore black eye liner so thick, she must have been trying for the goth look.

"Caitlyn White?" Alex said when he entered the room. The ten year old hardly looking ten with the weight gain, oversized clothes and horrible choices in make up. "I'm Sheriff Alex Romero."

He sat down across from her and allowed the young girl to study him critically.  
"I'm very glad you're alright. You had us all worried. We were afraid you'd been hurt." he said gently. He tried to meet her eyes, but Caitlyn was having none of it.

She avoided eye contact and Alex had to remind himself that Caitlyn was no different than Norma was at that age. That something must be terribly wrong with this girl to want to risk her own life to get away.

"Can you tell me why you left? Why were you trying to runaway?" he asked.

Caitlyn ignored him. Her arms folded across her flabby chest.

"Okay." Alex said.

He sat up a little straiter in his chair and changed tactics.

"Running away from home triggers a lot of red flags. We have some options. You can go back home and a social worker from the city will come and examine your home life and decide what is best. Or, you can keep up this bad girl attitude, refuse to talk to me, and end up in juvie for the next few months." he said. He didn't like to threaten a child. Caitlyn struck him as being the victim here, and he didn't want to hurt the victim.  
"Juvie." Caitlyn said. "That's like an jail for kids right?"

"Yes." Romero said. "It's not a fun place. You'll be in there with other kids who were breaking the law. Running away from home is breaking the law, Caitlyn. You'll be in a state run facility far away from your friends, far away from your mom and-"

"I want to go there." Caitlyn said quickly.

Romero must have had an odd look on his face because she clarified.

"I want to go to juvie." she said.

"Why?" he asked. "Why would you want to go to that place?"

The girl refused to speak. Refused to even look at him.  
"Caitlyn, if something is happening to you at home, I need to know." he said. Romero had a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach that something terrible was hurting this girl in her home. Maybe there was a boyfriend of her mother's, maybe there was drug use, maybe something else that he couldn't see yet.

"Caitlyn?" he asked.

He saw tears streaming down her face. The black mascara smudging and he could see she really was just a scared kid.

"Please." she whispered. "I don't want to go home. Anywhere but there."

"Tell me why." Romero demanded in a calm voice. He could feel Sheriff Wilson's presence with him then. It was the same feeling he had when the two men had spoken with Dylan about Deputy Shelby. Romero and Wilson already knowing what had happened, but needed to hear the little boy say it.

Caitlyn shook her head and it was as if she turned to stone. Her face transforming from a scared little girl to an angry teenager right in from of his eyes.

"Take me to Juvie, Sheriff. I'll just run away again if you don't. I'll run away, I'll hit my mother, I'll set fire to our trailer. Put me in Juvie till I turn eighteen. I'm fine with that." she said in a cold, detached voice.

"If someone at home was hurting you-"

"I'm done talking. I'm not going home." Caitlyn interrupted him. Her gaze focused on the dead space in the corner. Her expression indifferent and without emotion.

~ "What do you think happened to her?" Norma asked as she prepared dinner. Alex had Charlotte in his arms and he peered out the window to see the boys engaged in a sword fight with card board tubes. Norman delivering a good hit to his brother's legs and then giving chase when Dylan ran away.

"Bad things." Alex said and held his daughter closer to his chest. Charlotte rested her head on his shoulder and he loved the feel of the clean, contented baby in his arms. Norma was in the habit of handing him his daughter as soon as he came home. Charlotte always freshly woken from a nap, cleaned and fed before greeting her father. The baby's outfit and socks matching perfectly to the flower headband her mother had spitefully secured in place to show she was a girl. Norma never allowing their child to be anything less than perfect when he came home from a long day.

"You think there was abuse?" Norma asked. She looked at him with a sad, innocent face. A face that reminded Alex of the pictures in Caleb Calhoun's van. A little girl who looked perpetually heartbroken and lost.

"Why else would a kid elect to go to Juvie? That place in Emerson is a prison for kids. We use that place to threaten wannabe's to behave. No one wants to go there. It's for future criminals who have no one else to take them in. It's a state run place. The only thing good about it is she'll have an education, three hots and a cot." he told her. He gently kissed Charlotte's head. Thankful his daughter was with him and innocent to the world.

"It's also a safe place." Norma reasoned.

Alex looked at her curiously. She shrugged.  
"I mean, if she's being abused. If someone is hurting her, bad enough that she would want to run away, she might feel safer in a place like that. Where there's staff members to take care of her."

She went back to the chicken she was cooking in a pan. Her face slightly troubled.  
"It's the kind of thing I might have done. To get away from Caleb." she confessed. "To get away from my parents."

"You would have chosen to go to prison till you were eighteen? To be in lockdown? To have no freedom?" he asked.

"To not be raped by my brother anymore? To be able to sleep at night without worrying he would come for me? To have decent food, go to school regularly, maybe even learn a skill? It might not be perfect, but what is?" she rationalized.

Alex held Charlotte tighter. His paternal instincts to protect his daughter became stronger when he remembered how terrible Norma's childhood truly was. How she had been denied an education for a good portion of her youth. How her brother must have always been trying to get to her. How her father would have beaten her to the point she couldn't walk. Chuck had shared with him his wife's gruesome childhood in the scattered reports she was able to find. Collectively, they painted a grim picture of a life with no future.

"It's amazing you survived it." he admitted sadly. His wife tasted the chicken she was cooking and lowered the heat.  
"I made a decision. After coming here, seeing you arrest Sam and finally feeling free for he first time in my life. I decided it was time to be the person I wanted to be." She covered the pan with a lid and turned off the heat to the other pots on the stove. "Someone who dresses well. Who looks nice and who is respectable. I was tired of being looked down on. Of people thinking I was trash. Less than trash because of how I dressed or because my hair was bleached with black roots. I didn't want to be that person anymore. I didn't want to be the girl who was angry all the time. Who yelled at her son because he had a cold and couldn't help coughing. Who felt too powerless to help herself. Who felt she needed someone else to do things for her. It's no way to live."

She let out a sigh and looked back at him. Alex was still holding their daughter in his arms. A girl that, as long as he was around, would never know the life her mother had lived.

"All I ever wanted was to be a good person. To be a good mother. To have a nice clean home where friends could come and go. Where everything… would just be lovely." she said sadly. Her expression reminding him of the girl she used to be in the old pictures.

"I keep trying to be her." Norma admitted. "To have that. Then I finally realized, I've had all of that for a while now. That I need to be grateful. I'm lucky to have made it at all. I'm lucky to have all of this."

Alex was about to say something to her when Dylan stormed into the house with Norman chasing him. Both boys screaming like heathens. Norman, in a fit of unrestrained, savage glee, threw a football at his brother. Dylan ducked just in time and the ball hit the table, knocking off some plates and breaking them.

"Boys!" Norma shouted. Dylan and Norman ignored their mother and Charlotte started to cry as the two monsters chased each other around the table.

"Boys!" Alex said in a commanding voice. He handed the baby to Norma and stalked to the two hellions.

Fearing a well deserved punishment coming, Dylan and Norman ran outside again.

"I'll leave dinner on the back porch if that's how you're going to behave." Alex said before shutting the back door and locking it against the local wildlife.

Norma looked disgusted at the mess her two sons had made in such a short amount of time. Charlotte was still crying and becoming red faced over the horrible realization she had awful brothers.

"It'll be fine." Alex said taking the baby back. Charlotte, a daddy's girl from day one, stopped crying and clung to his shirt.

"Hey." he said when Norma wouldn't stop scowling.  
She looked back at him and he smiled.  
"We're lucky. Remember?" he reminded her.

 **Sorry for the late post. Work has me super busy and it's hard to make time for work, friends, husband and TSCB.**


	141. Chapter 141

141.

~ The Holy Gatherings Church was the oldest, smallest and most charming of all the places of worship in White Pine Bay. Norma had driven past the picture perfect little chapel many times on her way to drop Norman off at Daycare. It was set in a remote little clearing off the side of the road. Whomever was responsible for the rose gardens and landscaping upkeep certainly did a good job. There was always flowers blooming and the little chapel, constructed of dark cedar, had a special shine about it.

Alex had told her that all the locals attended services here and some even attended daily prayer sessions. Norma could scarcely believe a chapel this small could service so many.

"They have four services on Sunday." he told her dryly as they walked up the path. The rose garden surrounding the church and walkways were absolutely amazing. Even at this time of year. Norman kept trying to touch the blooming flowers and Alex was quick to guide him away.

"Four?" Norma asked. She wasn't a religious person, she wasn't raised to be, so she had no idea what the normal service was.

"Six o'clock, seven thirty, nine and ten thirty." Alex recited wearily. "The early morning service was always for the old folks, the seven thirty was traditional, nine for the families and ten thirty was for the younger people."

"Impressive." Norma said and studied her husband's face. He seemed reluctant to go inside with the other attendees of Sybil's funeral.

"Boys, why don't you go on ahead and wait for us at the doors?" Norma waved to Dylan and Norman. She held Charlotte, dressed perfectly in a dark blue sailor dress with a matching blue ribbon tied to her small scarps of hair, and waited for Alex to join them.

"I haven't been back here since my mother died." He confessed. "Her funeral… it wasn't pleasant."

"Sybil's will be very nice. She lived a good long life and she had a lot of friends." Norma assured him. "All we have to do is sit there and listen to the eulogy. Then we can go to the graveside and say our goodbyes. We don't have to go to the reception."

Norma spotted George talking to Norman and Dylan a little ways away. Norman pointing to them and Mayor Helden coming to greet the Sheriff and Mrs. Romero.

"Alex." George said stopping to shake hands. "So happy to see you here. Very glad that Caitlyn was found and she's alright. Nice work, Sheriff."

Norma felt George had purposefully ignored her in favor of Alex. Mainly because they used to be engaged and she was now happily married to another man. Finally, George turned to Norma, and instead of saying hello to his ex, he stooped down to peer at the baby she was holding.  
"And who is this?" George said with a smile.  
"Mayor Helden, this is Charlotte Louise Romero." Norma said proudly displaying her beautiful daughter.

She thought she caught Alex smiling and peered down at her child to see why. Charlotte looked displeased to be meeting Mayor George Heldon. Her little face looked bored, grumpy and was far too much like Alex's when he was annoyed.

"Oh, she's beautiful, Norma. I'm so happy for you." George said and leaned in to kiss Norma's cheek.

Norma looked back at her husband who gave her a knowing look.

"The service is about to start. I have a pew for the Romero family up front." George told them.  
"That's not-" Alex tried to say.  
"Thank you, George." Norma said quickly and nodded for Alex to join them.

~ It was a beautiful church. Alex had to admit that with the stain glass illuminating the inside with color and warmth, you couldn't help but feel moved. Sybil's casket was open and Alex didn't like the idea of her dead body exposed for the world to see. The sprays of flowers were very beautiful. All of them in looking expensive and most likely from local businesses Sybil had connections with. Romero turned around to see the little church was standing room only now as the organist started to play amazing grace.

Dylan, as was his way, sat next to Alex on one side of the pew, Norma on his other side holding Charlotte on her lap and Norman sitting next to his mother. It was best to separate the boys right now. All they ever did was fight these days.

The young family had no idea they would sit in this exact same order in church from now on. Dylan, Alex, Charlotte, Norma and Norman. That they would, without ceremony or being told to, take possession of the Lawson family pew. It had been a subconscious seating arrangement, but it would be a habit they couldn't break.

Romero let his arm fall over Norma's shoulders when he saw Mayor Helden sitting in the pew across the aisle from them. Charlotte already asleep in the comfort of her mother's arms, surrounded by her family.

He suddenly realized this place didn't remind him at all of his mother anymore. It certainly should have. He and his mother attended services here every Sunday when he was growing up. The Old Bear never coming with them, but Alex had been alright with that. It had been a beautiful Sunday when he had found what his mother had done. What she had done not just to herself, but to him as well. That it had hurt him more than anyone else. Having to sit in the front row next to Sybil and try not to cry.

All that seemed a distant memory to Romero now that he was sitting next to Norma. His tiger was far too fierce to allow bad memories to invade. Norma turned to him and smiled as Danny took to the podium to speak.

Pastor Loyd, as he was now called, gave a very moving speech about Sybil being a true servant to the town. How she had defended God's most innocent creatures. How there was a special place for her in heaven because she cared for the poorest of poor.

Then, although, Alex didn't like it, they were called to stand and walk past the body to say goodbye.

Dylan went first, after Mayor Helden had passed the casket. Romero didn't approve of his son seeing Sybil like this and Dylan turned to back to him in slight horror.

Alex didn't look at Sybil in the casket. He could only tell that she was laid out in the dark dress suit that she always wore. Norma had probably picked it out and decided, given Sybil's nature, that it was best to lay her to rest in something practical and professional.

"Dad?" Dylan whispered. "She has stitches in her mouth."

Alex took Dylan's hand and rested an arm over the child's shoulder. From his point of view looking at the body in a certain angle, Dylan was most likely talking about the mortician having to sew Sybil's jaw shut for the viewing. It wasn't meant to be seen, having been done in the inside of the lips, but Dylan had noticed.

"It's alright." he whispered and guided him back to their seat. He saw Norma had taken a little longer to say goodbye and that she looked ready to cry. His wife looking sadly at the older woman and holding the sleeping baby close. Finally, she returned to sit next to her husband.

Alex was about to relax when Norma bolted out of her seat and handed him the baby. Romero quickly took Charlotte, who didn't even fuss at the sudden transfer and wondered what was wrong. There was a cry of panic and outrage coming from the casket and Sheriff Romero saw Norma racing back to pull Norman away. The little boy having stood up on nearby step-stool and was touching Sybil's face.

"Norman!" his mother hissed and pulled her son down as the entire town watched the scene in horror. Sheriff Romero hearing gasps and murmurings about how inappropriate it was for a child to touch the face of the dead woman. Even if she had been put on display, it was far too morbid that a kid might be curious about the dead.

"Is that really Sybil?" Norman asked fearfully as Norma pulled him back to sit with the family.

"Honey, you sit here with us. You're not supposed to climb up there like that!" Norma hissed at her son.

Alex could feel the judgement of everyone around them.

"It's okay, Norman." he said gently. He could understand the child's confusion at being someone who used to be alive, now laying in a casket like that.

"I don't want to see Sybil like that." Dylan whispered. His eyes large with fear at having to come so close to a dead body of someone he loved. Both boys looking thoroughly traumatized by the experience and Norma seemed so embarrassed she might never recover. Only Alex and Charlotte were indifferent. He wasn't upset at Norman for touching Sybil's face, at six years old, he might have done the same thing. He also didn't blame Dylan for being afraid of the stitches in the jaw. Or of Norma being upset to have lost a good friend.

Romero held his daughter more securely and wished he could tell Sybil all about what just happened. The old lady would have found it hysterical.

~ Sybil's house was beautiful. It reminded Norma of a castle with all the stained glass and cherry red wood paneling and inlay floors.

"Sybil Lawson updated her estate last month." George was telling Alex and Norma. "She called me to make up a final draft and she signed it."

"George, I didn't know you were still practicing as an attorney." Norma said.

"I'm not." he told her from his seat on Sybil's expensive and tasteful couch. "But who tells Sybil Lawson no?"

Norma almost laughed at that. She glanced down at Charlotte, nestled in her car seat. The baby had started to cry at the grave side service and everyone was looking at the Romero family with mild annoyance. Probably judging them for the kids they couldn't control, but who cared? Sybil loved them and that was all that matters.

"Anyway, she knew her time was near and she updated her will with a new beneficiary." George explained and handed a thick envelope to Alex and Norma.  
Norma kept an eye on her two horrible boys who were sitting quietly across the room. Norman looking intently at the old pictures on the grand piano.

"It's a lot of money to charity. Mostly to the women's shelter and that kind of thing. Her father had started the women's shelter during the depression and Sybil carried on his legacy. She left the house to the historical society. Endowed that it remain intact and with the hope that it will be turned into a museum." George explained.

Norma looked around the finely appointed living room. It already looked like a museum. All the furnishings appeared antique and there were impressive paintings and photographs along the walls and mantle. Norma was surprised to see the wedding picture of her and Alex taken at City Hall having a special place on the mantle.

"So why are we here?" Alex grumbled.

"Well, in this updated will, Sybil named a new beneficiary." George explained. "For more than thirty years, she had you, Sheriff as her only heir. Now, it seems she's named your daughter as heir her liquid estate."

"Liquid estate?" Norma asked. Surely the old woman wouldn't leave the baby that swimming pool outside. She glanced at Alex who looked extremely pale.

"Money." George clarified. "She left Charlotte more than fifty million dollars in a trust. I've arranged it myself, Sybil and I agreed that you, Sheriff would be the trustee and that your daughter would start to receive benefits in a monthly allowance when she turned eighteen. This would ensure a more stable means of security for Charlotte. An income for her in the future."

Norma felt slightly dizzy.

"There is an allowance for the trustee." George said quickly. "We can work out later how you would want that distributed to you, Sheriff. It was very generous and I think it will help with the boys education."

"Wait." Norma said feeling like she might faint. "Fifty **million**?"

"Yes, the Lawson's were very well off." George explained. "Old money. I think they invested in Apple and IBM back in the seventies."

"Oh!" Norma sighed.

Alex's expression looked sour though. He glanced at a picture of the Sybil back when she was still a young lady of twenty. Sybil was very pretty and charming in her old picture. Her sweet little face hiding the hellion she had probably been her entire life. Women like Sybil don't just turn into fearless hawks overnight. She had it in her blood from the moment she was born.

"I can't believe Sybil did this." Norma breathed.  
"I can." Alex said darkly.

He turned to his wife and she saw anger in his eyes.

"She's trying to buy my forgiveness." he explained.

 **The church is this chapter is the same one Norma's funeral was held in the last ep of season 4.**


	142. Chapter 142

142.

~ "Alex, Sybil left us this money and we're going to use it." Norma snapped. "Why can't you see that this money is a good thing?"

Alex had heard everything that his wife was saying, but kept his focus on the parking lot outside his office window.

Norma had made an unexpected visit to the Sheriff's station to talk to him. She had brought Charlotte with her, asleep in the carrier and admittedly, the baby had draw a lot of adoring fans when they arrived. Clarice willing to keep an eye on the little one while the Sheriff and Mrs. Romero talked in private.

"This isn't a good thing, Norma." Alex said and turned to face her. "Fifty million? Do you know what kind of damage a trust fund like that will do to our daughter?"

"It didn't hurt Sybil." Norma said crisply. "Alex, we can't just shrug off this gift. We can't. The trustee allowance alone will allow us to live very comfortably."

"I don't need the trustee allowance." Alex said maliciously. "I can support my family just fine."

"Of course you can." Norma sighed. "You know, Sam's life insurance payouts mean that I can stay home with the baby for as long as I need to. That I won't have to put her in daycare. Also, we need to think of Dylan and Norman. We're just ten years away from Dylan preparing for college and then Norman will be right behind him. Can we really afford that without the trustee allowance?"

Romero gave his wife a dirty look and refused to answer.

"No, we can't." Norma said for him.  
"I don't want the money and I don't want our kids to be spoiled trust fund brats." Alex said. "I don't want them to be given anything. I want them to work for it and be able to take care of themselves.

"If they get a good education, they can get a god job and then they can take care of themselves." she said.  
"No, Norma."

"You need to give me a better reason to refuse this money than you don't want spoiled kids. You know George thought you were insane when we talked to him at the house yesterday. Refusing to sign the paperwork of trustee and telling him Charlotte didn't want the trust." she was practically hyperventilating right now. "Alex, financial security, it means something."

He saw that she looked genuinely upset. A reminder, if he needed one, that Norma had grown up desperately poor and could never have dreamed of such a thing as this.

"Norma, Sybil is making atonement." Romero said carefully.

"For what?" she asked.

He didn't say anything at first. He wasn't sure how to tell her.  
"Before the new department head seized her home office, I went through her files." Alex explained. "I was looking for more information about Caitlyn White."  
Romero didn't miss the worried look on his wife's face. It was like a shadow had passed over her. Her eyes dropping to her hands.

"Sybil had files on every case she ever worked on going back at least sixty years." he want on. He was watching his wife's body language and saw her breathing was picking up.

She **knew**.

"I accidentally found one with my name on it." he said and opened his own desk drawer to retrieve the worn folder labeled _Alex David Romero 1970_. "I didn't understand what this was… at first." he explained pulling free some very official hospital documents.

He showed her his original birth certificate with the inked tiny baby footprints on the government form. The kind of document that belonged in a baby book, not hidden away.

"Your brith certificate?" Norma asked and looked over it carefully.

"Has my parents name on it." he explained.  
"Shouldn't it?" she asked. She looked a little too innocent.

Alex placed another document on the desk for her to see. It was the same type of certificate they had received after losing Michael. Documentation of a baby boy born dead on the same day Alex was born. The father was listed as unknown and the mother was named Allison Clark.

"So?" Norma asked. "What does this have to do with anything? It's a coincidence."

"Why were they in the same file, Norma?" he asked.

He could tell she was searching for an answer. Her face looking overly innocent. It was the same expression Dylan and Norman wore when they were trying to hide something.

"Maybe, Sybil misfiled it." she said at last.

"What do you know and how long have you know it?" Romero suddenly demanded.

"Known what?" she asked defensively.

He held up the two certificates as proof of what he was trying to show her.  
"My mother had gone through a series of miscarriages before I was born." he explained. "Doctor Bloch had advised her to give up for her own health. Then, suddenly I came along?"

Norma refused to look at him.  
"You want to know what I think?" he asked bitterly. He turned over the live birth certificate and held up the death certificate for her to see. "I think this girl Allison Clark had a baby, and for some reason, she was told her son had died. Then my parents suddenly are blessed with a healthy baby boy on the same night. A baby they could keep legally because of their connections and this poor girl was sent away thinking she had lost her child."

He studied his wife's expression. She looked worried and maybe a little afraid.

"It's a hell of a coincidence, Norma." he said gently.

"Alex." she started to say.  
"You tell me I'm wrong." his tone like an accusation. "Tell me it's not true and tell me you didn't already know about this. What happened? Did Sybil confess this to you on her deathbed?"

"No." Norma shook her head. "It was after Billy Westwood went missing. She said not to worry, she had done this before."

"Done this before?" Alex asked. He felt a slight ringing in his ears. "What does that mean?"

Norma looked like she might throw up.

"Sybil told me that she had taken Billy Westwood to a contact out of state. That they changed his information here so that you could never trace him with fingerprints. They had him adopted by some family across the country." she said quickly.

"What?" Alex breathed. He could feel the room start to spin.  
"Sybil didn't know the new family's name. She wanted Billy safe and knew this was the best way to make the city pay attention to how bad the family was. That if Billy went missing and was presumed dead, that the other kids would be put up for adoption once people could really see they were in danger." she confessed.

"You knew Billy Westwood was safe for months now." Alex said coldly. He had never felt this way towards Norma before. It felt worse than anger. It felt like betrayal.

"Yes." Norma told him guiltily. "Sybil didn't want me to tell you till after she was gone. She didn't want you to hate her."

Alex almost laughed. He was far beyond hate now.  
"You said that Sybil had done this before." he reminded his wife with shaky breath.

Norma looked slightly sick but nodded.

"It happened like you said." she told him. "This teenage girl came to town. She was expecting a baby and had no one. Sybil and Doctor Bloch felt bad that your mother had lost so many children. They felt… they decided that your real mom didn't need the burden of trying to raise you alone. They thought it was best if she was made to believe you had died. That, she would go back to her old life and you would have a good home. I know Sybil thought your parents would be good to you. She regretted it so much, Alex."

Romero could barely understand what she was saying. The ringing in his ears getting louder. It was one thing to speculate. Another to have his suspicions confirmed.

"Sybil didn't know your parents would turn out like they did." Norma went on. She was crying softly. "She felt so guilty for her part in lying to your real mother. For lying to you. She didn't want you to hate her. She loved you."

"Get out." Romero breathed.

"What?"

"I… need you to leave." he said with a slight stutter. A stutter only present when he was nervous or upset. "Take Charlotte and go home."

His wife stayed in her seat and looked curiously back at him.  
"I don't want to look at you right now." he clarified. "Leave."

"Alex?"

He stood up and turned away from her to try and collect himself before explaining why he couldn't stand the sight of her.

"You knew for months now. You know the truth about Billy Westwood and left me twisting in the winds. Left me clueless about a missing child, Norma. Something like that could have ended my career. Do you understand?" he said carefully. He hated to see her beautiful face looking so afraid but he couldn't stop. "Now, you're telling me you knew the woman I always thought was my mother isn't. That my whole life has been a lie. All these years I've lived in fear I would become my father. That I would be as unbalanced as my mother. All to find out I'm not really theirs. That I was stolen. That my real mother thinks I'm dead."

"I want to tell you why-"

"Don't." Alex said accusingly. "I don't want to hear it. I want you to leave."

She stood up slowly. Her breathing coming hard as she tried not to cry.

"Are you… are you coming home?" she asked.

He didn't know how to answer.

"Are you coming home, Alex?" she asked again. Her voice having a slight edge to it.

Romero walked around his desk and put a hand on the doorknob. His beautiful bride looking close to tears.

"Alex, please. Not after everything." she whispered. "It doesn't have to be like this."

"I always thought I could trust you. I always thought you would never lie to me about something this important." he said back. His chest feeling hollowed out somehow. "After everything we've worked so hard towards. How could you keep this from me?"

"Alex." she cried softly.  
"This is how it has to be, Norma." he said. His anger reaching a boiling point that he was afraid of. He didn't want his wife to see him like this.

He waited for her to clear her face of any evidence she had been crying. The back of her hand going to her nose as always. He refused to look at her, his feelings towards her betrayal as painful as any wound he had ever suffered. Not even losing Michael hurt this much.

When he opened the door for her, his wife walked past him quickly. Her perfume wafting past his senses and making that pain in his chest hurt even more.  
"Come home soon, Sheriff." she said in a normal voice before turning to collect Charlotte at the receptionist desk. Clarice having gladly kept a dutiful eye on the cherished baby.

Romero was amazed Norma could act happy right now. Her fake smile coming so easy as she thanked Clarice for watching Charlotte. His entire life, who he was, was a lie and yet the world kept spinning.

 **I know. I know. It's not what you wanted. It has to be this for the story. I'm sorry. Bring on the hate!**


	143. Chapter 143

143.

~ "This is a nice office, Chuck." Alex said when Charlotte brought him a cup of coffee. She gave him an annoyed look when she saw him behind her computer.  
"Maybe I should keep the door closed if you're going to use a federal agent's office computer." she said in a catty voice.

"Might be a good idea." Romero agreed.

"What exactly are you looking for and why did you make this sudden trip to San Fransisco?" she asked. She settled in an office chair next to him and watched as he casually searched the DMV records.

"Who's Allison Clark?" she asked

"I have a possible lead on a missing person's case from a few months ago." Alex said. "A child went missing back home and I have reason to believe he was kidnapped and illegally adopted out of state."

"What was his name?" Chuck asked.

"Billy Westwood. His mother was… a… working girl and I think he was kidnapped to force the county to take the other kids. I'll be the first to admit they should have been removed a long time ago." he told her.  
"Well, you think Allison Clark has something to do with this?" Charlotte asked.

Alex looked back at the thousands of Allison Clarks on record. He never realized what a common name it was. Even when he narrowed it down by age the list went on and on.

"No, this is something different." he said. "Something that needs to stay between you and me."

"What is it, Alex?" Charlotte asked. Her face looked genuinely concerned and Alex could only guess how he looked right now.

He had left town the day Norma told him she had known the truth. He had only told Washington he had a possible lead on Billy Westwood and would need to take a few days off. Spitefully, he hadn't called Norma to tell her he was leaving town. Instead preferring to utilize the change of clothes he kept at the office and stay at a motel.

He hated himself for being so angry at her, but he couldn't let go of the fact she had known. She had known and didn't tell him. If he hadn't found the file, he might never have known the truth.

"It's like a twilight episode." he said at last. "Imagine, if you will, that your whole life is a lie."

"How is your whole life a lie?" Charlotte asked gently.

He started to grind his teeth again. His jaw already hurting from the long drive with only his anger for company.

"Is Norma okay?" Charlotte asked when he didn't answer. "I know I should have been there for Micheal's funeral, but I was in China. It happened so fast and I couldn't get away. I just got back the day before yesterday. I didn't even know Sybil passed until you called."

"She stole me." Alex blurted out.

"Norma stole what?" Charlotte asked.

"No." he sighed. "No, Sybil stole me."

Chuck looked confused and Romero went on. He had to choose his words carefully. He wasn't sure how to explain things without sounding like a soap opera.

"My real mother, her name is Allison Clark." he said slowly. "She was a teenager and, alone. Sybil told her that I had died during delivery and… then she gave me to my new parents."

"What?" Charlotte said. Her expression clear she didn't understand.  
"I'm not their real son." he sighed. "I… I was illegally adopted by my parents. This poor girl, or woman now, thinks her son died. She was lied to. I want to find her."

Charlotte took a few moments to process this information and Alex went back to looking at the thousands of Allison Clarks within the right age group.

"Wow." she said at last. "Did you tell Norma this?"

"Norma knows." Alex growled.

"Why isn't she here helping you?"

Romero looked at the names and didn't answer.

"Alex, you'll never find the right person through the DMV records." Charlotte sighed. "Move over."

She pushed him aside and started a new search.

"She didn't list a middle name." he said in frustration. "I already tried to get the records from the hospital. There's nothing."  
"She didn't just materialize out of thin air." Charlotte told him. "You said she was a teenager. Most likely a runaway? She would have defiantly have had a report filed once someone noticed she was missing. Especially if she was pregnant."

With a few skillfully placed words into the search engine, the list narrowed and a missing person's report appeared.

"Found her." Charlotte said easily. "Allison Anne Clark. Went missing November of 1970 and came back home January of 1971. So, around the time you were born, she was unaccounted for. There is no mention of her being pregnant in the missing persons report."

"That's her?" Alex asked and leaned in closer to the screen.

He wasn't sure what he expected, but it wasn't this young girl with a bright, happy smile.

"Well, this was here back in 1970. She was only sixteen at the time." Charlotte told him.

The two of them looked over the missing person's notice of the pretty teenage girl. She had Alex's dark hair and eyes. The way she smiled back at them, it was hard to believe she was a girl in trouble. Trouble so grievous as to runaway from home. She just didn't look like the type of girl who got pregnant at sixteen. She appeared much more suited for the honor roll, or student council than living the life of a teen mom.

"I have her current drivers license picture. If you want to see her now." Charlotte told him.

"She's still alive?" Alex asked without thinking.

"She's not even fifty yet!" Charlotte snapped.

Alex watched as a Nevada state drivers license appeared on the screen. Allison Clark had aged very well. She hardly looked over thirty. Her dark hair stylish without being too trendy. She still had that same smile and the same brightness as in her teenage picture.

"I think I can see a resemblance." Charlotte said after looking closely at the picture. "I think you have her eyebrows."

Alex couldn't look away from her. He had to agree with Chuck, he did look like this woman.

"She kinda looks like Jackie O." Charlotte decided at last. "Don't you think?"

Alex didn't say anything. He kept picturing what it would be like to finally meet this person. Would she even want to see him? She looked so bright and happy in this picture. Maybe losing him had been the best thing that could have happened to her. She had gone back to her parents and appeared to have lived a good life.

"I have her school records. She went to Berkley, then she worked as a teacher here in California before getting married to an investment banker named Andrew Dyson." Charlotte told him.  
"She was so close. All this time." Alex whispered. "Did her and this banker have any children?"

"Yes." Charlotte said in surprise. "Seems you have a half brother and sister. Mark Dyson he's seventeen, and Gillian Dyson who's fifteen."

Alex leaned back in his chair. A cold realization washing over him.  
"She won't want to hear from me." he admitted.

"Why not?" Chuck asked. "If I thought my baby had died, I would want to know the truth. That he was alive and well."

"No, I'm the mistake she made. She has two kids with her real husband. Two teenagers. She doesn't want to hear from her thirty one year old son. She moved on. I bet she didn't even tell her husband about me." he sighed.

"She thought you died." Chuck told him. "It might have been too painful to tell people about."

"It would interrupt her life." he said. "We should focus on the Westwood boy now."

"Fine." Chuck agreed. "But first, you need to tell me what's going on with you and Norma."

~ Norma kept telling herself it was bound to happen. She shouldn't get upset about it. Everything ended eventually. Nothing stayed good forever. She had hoped her and Alex would make it, but deep down, she knew it was just a matter of time.

Charlotte had slept perfectly through the church service and even Dylan and Norman had decided to behave for once. As soon as Sunday school was called forward, the boys were more than happy to leave the boring nature of the church lecture.

Norma wasn't sure why she decided to go to church this Sunday. It felt like the right thing to do. Something that she needed to do. Not because she had suddenly found faith, but because she wanted to find… something.

She listened to Pastor Loyd talk about hard times and not losing hope. His sermon seemed directly aimed at her and she tried to not feel overwhelmed with the loss of her husband.

Soon enough, Alex would come home from wherever he was and tell her he wanted a divorce. She would be agreeable. It had been her fault in the first place, hadn't it? If she had told him right away what Sybil had told her, maybe she wouldn't be working towards her third divorce before the age of thirty.

' _Norma Bates Romero. A cautionary tale_.' she thought to herself.

She shook her head at the idea she'd come full circle in hating her life again. She might as well have never stayed in White Pine Bay. She might have done better just to have gone back to Arizona when Sam was arrested.

She looked down at her sleeping baby, her beautiful little girl, and knew she would never have wished that. No matter what happened between her and Alex, she didn't regret loving him or having their daughter. She would have to stay in town now. She and the kids would move out of Alex's farm house and get an apartment. She would let him see Charlotte as much as he wanted and they would work out child support later.

Norma felt herself tearing up at the idea of leaving her home. Of telling Dylan and Norman that Alex wasn't their dad anymore. That it was doomed right from the start. She also hated the idea of not being with her husband. Of not sharing a bed with him, of nestling Charlotte between them, or cooking dinner for him while he locked the boys outside.

"Norma?" came a concerned voice.

She looked up and saw George Helden was beside her pew and that most of the parish members were filing out. She had been staring into space and hadn't realized they had been dismissed.  
"George." she said. Her fake smile trying to come on, but she didn't have the energy to to put on the mask anymore.

"How are you?" George asked. His expression was worried for her. Without asking, he sat down next to her and Charlotte. His knees touching hers and his gaze intently on her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked when she didn't say anything.

Norma tried to smile again, but failed again. She wanted to cry, but she didn't have the strength.

"Is it about the trust? Are you worried about that?" he asked.

"No." she breathed and almost laughed. All that stupid money hadn't been a concern at all. "No, I… I just haven't been sleeping well."

"New baby." George offered. "I bet you and Alex can't look away from her long enough to sleep through the night."

He nodded to the sleeping infant in her carrier. Norma was just using Charlotte as an excuse. Her daughter slept like a champ most of the night. They had worked out a routine in no time to get through feedings and changes with ease.

"Yeah." Norma sighed.  
"I have to be honest." George said carefully. "You look really sad over here. Is it postpartum depression? I mean, it happens to a lot of women who have just had a baby. Losing Michael on top of it, it makes it even worse."

Norma let out a long sigh and stared blankly ahead.  
"No, it's not anything like that." she said. "I just… I keep thinking the worst is going to happen. I keep preparing for it. I've always been like that."

"What worst?" George asked. His look now attentive to what she needed to say.

"I just… I can never make it work." she admitted. Tears were finally welling up and she couldn't hold them back. She was looking at the stained glass of the old church so George wouldn't see her crying. "Alex and I, It's not going to work. I lied to him about something important. He…um… he left me. Two days ago."

"Norma!" George said and she felt him take her hand.

 **OMG! I'm gonna get so much hate for this chapter! But don't worry, we know these crazy kids will work it out!**


	144. Chapter 144

144.

~ "You know, it's my fault." Norma said quickly. "I shouldn't have kept things from him."

George had taken her small pizza parlor in town. As soon as Dylan and Norman saw the old coin operated video games in back, they left the two adults alone to talk.  
"What can I do to help?" George asked. He looked sincerely at Norma and she felt a slight shiver of warning run down her spine.

"Nothing." she admitted. "If he wants a divorce, that's fine."

"You know, I like Sheriff Romero. Even after everything that happened with my sister and my brother. I still trust Alex. I think he's a good Sheriff and a good person." George told her. "Are you sure that he isn't just blowing off steam?"

"Maybe." Norma said. She looked down at Charlotte, still sleeping comfortably in her carrier. "It's been two days and I haven't heard from him."

"He'll come back." George said. "When he does, you two will work things out. Or, you won't."

Norma looked at her ex curiously. She had no trouble reading between the lines of that statement.

"I really should be getting the boys home." she said. Her gaze purposefully avoiding George's imploring stare.  
"Norma." he said eagerly. "Look, if you need someone to talk to, you know that you can talk to me. I've always been here for you."  
"I know." Norma said quickly and waved to the boys. Dylan looking especially mutinous that they were leaving. Her oldest child had been acting out a little more since Alex had been gone the past two days ' _Working_ '.

She had decided to tell her sons that Alex was on an extended work trip and would be home soon. She didn't wan to alarm Dylan and Norman that their parents were having marital problems. Not after everything they had been through. All the promises that were made to these children that they would have a stable home and family at last.

"Norma, please stay." George said hopefully.  
She refused to look back at him and focused on getting the boys home.  
"I have to go, George." she said and put on her best fake smile. "I'm sorry."

~ Alex watched Allison Clark Dyson leave her elegant home and get into a silver Lexus. He saw his half brother Mark, a tall dark haired teenager walk moodily out to the drive and get into the passenger seat. He waited, eager to see his half sister Gillian join them. The fifteen year old seemed a little more upbeat than her brother. She was quick to leave the house and join them in the car.

Alex could see the resemblance in his half siblings. They just **looked** related. Maybe someone wouldn't have guessed they were siblings, but cousins certainly. Mark and Gillian had his dark hair and he thought his half brother had his same facial features.

Without thinking too much about it, Alex put his rental car into drive and followed the Lexus out of the expensive neighborhood. He wasn't sure what he hoped to learn from this buried part of himself. Allison had obviously done well for herself. She had married a rich man, had a nice home and a luxury car. She had the mandatory two kids and she looked like a traditional soccer mom.

He had to remind himself that if she had been able to keep him, to raise him, she wouldn't have married this wealthy investment banker. That the two of them would have had a difficult life. Maybe not the different from Norma's life when she had Dylan so young.

Alex, felt a pain radiate within him thinking of Norma. He missed her and hated himself for being so stubborn and not calling her. She must be furious at him by now.

He couldn't think too much on Norma, though because his mother had turned into a large suburban high school and she dropped off Alex's half siblings. Mark and Gillian waving back at the silver Lexus and Alex keeping a close eye on them. Seeing the way Gillian smiled, Mark didn't smile. It was all familiar to him. He could see his half sibling every time he looked in the mirror.

Alex didn't lose track of the silver Lexus. He followed his mother into the city and to a law firm. Chuck had told him Allison Dyson was a law librarian now. Romero watched as the still very attractive, slender woman exited her car and walked to the building. He wondered what she was like as a person. What she would have been like as a mother. Judging from how well she dressed, how confidently she carried herself and even her profession, Alex knew she was very different from his own mother. He doubted Allison Dyson would cut herself. No, Allison Dyson would call that weakness. Allison Dyson struck her wayward son as being too strong. That his own stoic nature was nothing compared to hers.

Without thinking, Alex turned off the engine to his rental and casually crossed the street to the law firm. He didn't look like he belonged here. It was warmer in Nevada so he was wearing jeans and a T-shirt. Still, in this nice building with all the smartly dress people, he looked painfully common.

"Can I help you?" a receptionist called from the front desk.  
Not sure what else to do, Alex removed his badge from his back pocket and showed it to the receptionist.  
"I'm Sheriff Alex Romero of White Pine Bay, Oregon. I'm investigating a kidnapping. I need to speak with Allison Dyson right now." he said curtly.

The receptionist looked intimidated and backed away from him. She went to her desk phone and Romero could hear her saying his name in a low voice.

She hung up the phone and nodded to him.  
"Mrs. Dyson will be right with you, Sheriff." she said and waved a hand to some chairs. "Can I get you anything?"

"No." Alex said coldly.

He didn't have to wait long, Allison Dyson, she really did look like Jackie Kennedy up close, stalked gracefully into the lobby to meet him.  
"Did Roxanne say that there is a Sheriff here to see me about a kidnapping?" she asked.

Romero stood up and felt his pulse snap quickly. He felt almost dizzy to see Allison's penetrative stare. She looked him over carefully as if judging his general appearance, and she must have been displeased. Her mouth going into a thin line.  
"Mrs. Dyson." he said.

"Yes."

"My name is Sheriff Romero. I'm here to investigate a possible kidnapping." he said trying hard not to stutter. He felt nervous around this woman. She reminded him of Norma. The Norma his wife would have been if all those terrible things hadn't happened to her.  
"Roxanne told me all this. In what way to do you suspect my involvement, Sheriff Romero?" Allison said smartly. She had spent too much time around lawyers. Her words were efficient, direct and demanding.

Alex looked around the lobby. The building was already busy with people and they would be overheard.

"Mrs. Dyson, is there someplace we can talk privately?" he asked.

~ Allison had an impressive office for a law librarian. There was a large oak desk, beautiful rugs and comfortable chairs that would have put the Arcanum club to shame.

"What does a law librarian do exactly?" he asked out of curiosity. They didn't have such a creature in White Pine Bay. The lawyers there were used to doing their own work.

"I mainly do research." Allison explained. "A lot of work goes into a trial and research is very important. Especially cases that have set legal precedence."

Alex nodded and looked over the nice picture of her family. Her husband wasn't impressive. He was older than Allison by at least twenty years. Mark and Gillian thankfully favored their mother, just as Alex seemed to.

"Why don't you tell me what this is all about, Sheriff? I assure you, I've kidnapped no one." she said when she had allowed him to look over her office.

Romero wasn't sure how to start. He felt slightly panicked at the idea of telling her he was her long lost son. He tried to summon Norma for courage, but she wouldn't come to him. Allison was a far more fearsome tiger than his wife was. Or maybe it was because Alex felt guilty for leaving town two days ago without a word of explanation. Whatever it was, Alex had to face this tiger alone.

"Mrs. Dyson, were you ever in White Pine Bay Oregon?" he asked taking a seat across from her.

Immediately, Allison's face fell. Her hard expression softened into one of fear. Her lips parted and she looked ready to deny the accusation.  
"Let me help you." he said. His training in questioning a suspect taking over. "You were in White Pine Bay Oregon. You were there in the winter of 1970."

"How did you know that?" she whispered. "I never told anyone where I was."

"Hospital records." he answered her. "You had a child there right?"

"No. No, I didn't." she said shaking her head. "Why would you think that?"

"I know a social worker named Sybil Lawson told you she wouldn't put your full name. I know you trusted her." Alex explained.  
"Sybil Lawson." Allison repeated. "You don't understand, Sheriff. I didn't have a baby. I was in Maine in 1970. I was in high school."

"Except for the few months you went missing and your mother and step father filed a missing persons report." Alex said casually.

Allison looked horrified.  
"You're a law librarian." he offered. "You should know these kinds of things don't go away."

"Look, I don't know what this is about. I didn't have a baby and I certainly didn't kidnap one. I'd like you to leave now." she said standing up.  
"Allison, your son didn't die." Romero said at last. He looked up at his mother who seemed to have had the wind knocked out of her.

He shook his head and decided to keep forging ahead with the truth.

"Your son didn't die, Allison." he said again. "He lived and a local couple took him. Sybil Lawson had your doctor to forge a birth certificate for these people so they could take him. Then, they told you that your baby was dead."

The look on her face was the same one Norma had when Alex told her Shelby had been hurting Dylan. A look that showed there were some things that couldn't easily be processed. That the news he had given her was the last thing she expected or wanted to hear.

"How do you know all this?" she asked at last. "It's not possible."

"It is possible." he told her as gently as he could. "I have paperwork that was found in her office after she died. Allison, did you have a child in 1970? Did a doctor named Bloch tell you that your baby had died?"

Allison sat back in her desk.  
"It's been over thirty years." she sighed. "I managed to put it behind me. Pretend it happened to someone else. Maybe it was a movie I saw."

"What happened?" Alex asked.

Allison's face looked grim.

"I didn't want the baby. Not at first." she confessed. "I was only fifteen when I found out I was pregnant. You can imagine how scared I was. I had some money and I took the bus across the country. I was so stupid. I didn't have a plan or anything."

Alex winced at the notion she didn't want him, but let her go on.

"When I got to Oregon, I had no money left. I had nothing. I was picked up for hitchhiking by this Sheriff. He was like a bulldog, everyone was scared of him. But he was nice. He really was. He had this social worker, Sybil come in and they took care of me. Found me a place to stay at the women's shelter." Allison explained. "Tried to convince me to go back home. That I needed family and all that."

Allison shook her head and laughed.

"Did they try to tell you to give up your baby?" he asked.

"No." she said. "That was my idea. Sybil said she could find a family for it. Easily. That I wouldn't have to worry about anything. I could have it, and go on with my life as if nothing happened."

Alex didn't like that she called her lost baby it.

"No one knew I was in trouble you see." she whispered. "No one back home had any idea."

"What happened then? When you went into labor?" he asked.

"I had changed my mind. The very night my water broke. I told Sybil I wanted to keep it. That I wanted to be it's mother. They wheeled me into delivery and knocked me out. When I woke up, Sybil told me my baby had died. I didn't even know if it was a boy or girl." Allison said with a mirthless laugh.

"Boy." Alex said darkly. He was grinding his teeth again.

"Boy." she sighed. "I went back home, told my friends I had been following a band around. It was the early 70's people did that kind of thing all the time."

Alex watched her body language. He realized she was a very guarded woman by the way her arms were always folded over her body. Clearly he had trust issues and hid them behind a rock like facade. Maybe that was where he got it from.

"If I had kept the baby," she admitted. "No, I couldn't have kept the baby. They had been right, It was for the best that it had died. That was the end of it. That chapter was closed."

Alex waited for her to continue, but it was clear she didn't have any concern about what had happened to her missing son.  
"Your son was adopted illegally, Mrs. Dyson." he explained. Once more he had to try not to stutter.

"Probably because I had changed my mind." she told him. "Were they nice people?"

"No."

Allison's face fell again and this time she met him in the eye. His words having some affect on her that he didn't understand at first.

"No, they were not… not good people." he said. "Kidnapping a baby, you're not a nice person."

The silence spun between them and Alex went on.  
"I… I wish… that I cold tell you that they were nice people." he said with a slight stutter. "They weren't."

He looked at Allison who was staring at him as if for the first time.  
"The child's natural father, are you in contact with him at all?" he asked.

"He died. Two years ago. Heart attack." she said indifferently. "No, I haven't been in contact with him in over thirty years."

"I see." Alex said feeling disappointed.

"I can tell you though." she admitted. "That you look just like him when you stutter."

~ Norma lay awake in bed and tried to sleep. She missed Alex. Missed having him around the house and hated how quite and uncomfortable things felt without him home.

Dylan and Norman hadn't taken his absence well and had started to sleep on his side of the bed. Norma glanced down at Charlotte sleeping peacefully in her bassinet and wished Alex was home.

' _What if he never comes home?_ ' she thought.

' _He's never coming home_.' The black bird laughed. ' _He wants you and your pack of dirty children out of his house. He might not even want Charlotte. John didn't want Dylan. Sam didn't want Norman. What makes you think Alex will want any part of you? Look at you. Look at what a mess you are. Look at the mess you've made of your life._ '

Norma tried to block out the bad thoughts, but they kept coming. They kept coming and laughing at her.

"Mom?" Dylan whispered sleepily next to her.

"What is it?" she said. Her eyes filled with tears she was too afraid to cry.

"When's dad coming home?" he asked.

"I don't know, Dylan." she told him.


	145. Chapter 145

145.

~ "Mom, I didn't like seeing Sybil like that." Dylan told his mother. Norma was driving the old girl back home from the grocery store. Her oldest was seated next to her and had taken the opportunity to talk about something that had been bothering him for a while now.  
"I know you didn't." Norma said. "I didn't like seeing her like that either. But you know that wasn't her, right? That that was just her body. Just her shell. The part that made Sybil who she was, left that shell behind when she died."

"Is Sybil in heaven?" Norman asked from the back seat next to Charlotte.

Norma had to search for an answer. As much as she wanted to, she didn't believe in heaven or hell. Even with all the good work that Sybil had done over her life, Norma wasn't sure the old woman would merit entrance into heaven. No amount of atonement could wash away some things.

"I hope so, Norman." she said at last.  
"Her body didn't even look like her, Mom. She had stitches in her mouth. It gave me nightmares." Dylan said. "Why did she have stitches in her mouth?"

Norma suspected the reason, but felt uncomfortable explaining it to her son.  
"Dylan, I don't want you to think about it anymore." she said at last. "Sybil lived a very long life. She was healthy for most of it. She helped a lot of people and you need to think of only the good things about her now."

"I've been trying." Dylan said. "I keep worrying about who's going to die next."

Charlotte gave off a cry and Norma peered into the rearview mirror to see Norman had leaned in closer to his sister to see why she was upset.

"Honey, no one is going to die next. Okay?" Norma snapped. "All of us are healthy and young and we're going to die one day, but when we're old like Sybil."

"Michael was a baby when he died." Norman said. "He wasn't old."

"Dad got shot. He almost died." Dylan said in agreement.

"Boys, we are all going to be fine." Norma sighed. "No more taking about dying."

 _'I'll have to tell the boys about Alex soon_.' She decided. ' _What about the dogs? They will need to stay on the farm. It will break Norman's heart to be separated from the dogs. He's always taking such good care of them.'_

She tried to fight off a wave of sadness that wanted to pull her under. That black bird on her shoulder was worse than ever before. She couldn't sleep at night and she could feel the walls closing in all around her.

She would miss the farm. Things were so peaceful here. It was a place that was good for the boys, with so much freedom, she never worried about them anymore. Her anxiety had receded dramatically since marrying Alex. Even with losing Michael, Norma had always felt safe and protected with Alex around.

She wasn't sure what would happen now. Where they would go and how they would live. She didn't have Sybil to rely on anymore, and now with Alex gone, Norma truly felt afraid.

"Dads home!" Dylan shouted when Norma turned into the drive. Norma felt her heart flutter at seeing Alex's SUV. The Sheriff of White Pine Bay must have just gotten back from where ever it was he'd gone. He was taking out an overnight bag from the back seat.

Norma was glad to see him, but she felt slightly nervous at having to talk to him. Alex, looked a little tired, and she thought he seemed a little sad as well.

"Dads home!" Dylan said happily when Norma pulled her car next to his. Dylan jumped out of his seat and raced to Sheriff Romero.

"Dad, we missed you!" the child said eagerly. Norman was quick to follow his brother's example and freed himself of the seatbelt and ran to see Alex.

Norma thought bitterly how the boys had left her with groceries to carry in all by herself. Charlotte started to cry from all the excitement and door slamming.

She refused to look at her husband when she got out of the car and undid the baby's car seat.

"Boys, you need to unload the car. Remember? If we raised your allowance, you were going to do more to help out." she didn't want to look at her two son's greeting Alex. Didn't want to see how Alex had picked Norman up with one arm and was listening to Dylan tell him about the beaver damn the class field trip had seen.

She opened the trunk and waved at Dylan and Norman to take the bags inside.

Her oldest son sensed there was trouble between the adults in his life. He threw Norma an accusing stare that told her not to ruin things.  
"Take them inside and put everything up." Norma ordered.

"Okay." Dylan said. Norma tried not to notice how Alex gave Norman a hug before setting him down. She stayed focused on getting herself and the baby inside. Charlotte needed to be changed and she didn't want to boys to see her having to discuss separation details with Alex.

She walked past him into the house. Charlotte was starting to grow a little cranky and needed her nap. Norma admitted she could use a long rest to.

She heard the boys and Alex unpacking the groceries while Norma changed and redressed her daughter. She waited for him to come into their bedroom and tell her he wanted a divorce.

She heard the door to their bedroom creak open and Alex's footsteps making the old floors creak.  
"I just put the baby down." she told him without looking behind her. She wanted to make Sure Charlotte would stay asleep for a little while. When she finally glanced at her husband, she saw he looked somber and troubled.

"She's been changed and fed already. I'm going to start packing the boys room up fist. I think that will be easiest, while they're at school." she told him. "I've found a little house near town. Three bedrooms which is good. I'm going to leave a lot of Charlotte's things here. I want you to have as much visitation with her as possible."

She saw him scowling back at her, but he said nothing.

"I think I'll go back to work after Charlotte's first birthday. I think she's just too young to be without me right now. I know you adopted the boys, but I don't want you to feel you have to pay child support. I don't want to have a bad separation. They still care about you and I don't want them to think badly of you. Same thing with Charlotte. We need to do what's best for her. We need-"

"Norma." he said softly. She stopped talking and tried to smile. Her vision blurring again with tears.

"What?" she said and tried to act normal. "I just, I just want this to be easy. It needs to be easy for us. I don't want us to hate each other."

She finally looked at him and saw his expression was sympathetic.

"So, I mean, I can pack everything up, and we can leave. This is your home, I wouldn't want to go to court of something like that. I don't want to go to court at all. If we can just be agreeable on everything, all I have to do is pack up the boys things… my things… and we can leave. Okay?" she said. Her voice trembling slightly.

Her husband kept looking at her. The fact he said nothing frustrated her even more.

"Okay." he said at last.

Norma could feel the sadness take her over. Like some monster had pulled her under the cold, dark sea and she was going to die now. Tears started falling down her face as she realized this was it. Alex didn't want to be with her anymore. Everything good about her life was rotting away.

Bravely, she wiped her tears off her face and tried to compose herself.

"If you want to move to the new house, that's fine." he said at last. "I'll pack my things to. We can all go."

Norma almost laughed at him. The relief rising up inside her felt like warm air that would chase away the coldness of her near drowning a moment ago.

Alex himself looked sad and anxious she had even suggested leaving him.  
"Because I'm not going to be agreeable to a divorce, Norma. If you want to go to court, we can, because I'll fight a divorce every step of the way. It might be easier to just stay married to me. I'll try to be a better husband, but I promise I won't be a good ex-husband." he explained.

Norma put a hand to her mouth. She knew she was about to start crying and didn't want him to see how ugly her face was when she cried.

"I'm sorry I left." he whispered stepping closer to her. "I was angry. I was angry about all the secrets. About all the lies I've been told my whole life."

"I didn't know how to tell you." she whispered. She realized she wasn't going to cry anymore now that she knew her husband still loved her. "It was so impossible, I didn't know if you would believe it or not. Then, I asked you if we should ever tell Dylan about Caleb and you said it would only hurt him. I thought it was best never to tell you. I thought you had put your parents, everything they did, behind us."

She shook her head in frustration.

"Then, Sybil tells me what she had done. I didn't know what to do." she confessed. "If I told you, I know you would be upset. I didn't want to hurt you. It's the last thing I wanted."

"I'm sorry she unburdened herself on you." Alex whispered and tried to take her hand. Norma flinched away.

"I shouldn't have left like that. I'm sorry." he whispered.

"No, Alex. It's fine." she sighed.

"It's not fine. I was angry, but not at you. It was wrong to just leave like that. I just needed time to think. To work this out on my own before I came home."

"I can't hate you. I won't." she told him. "It would be so easy if I could hate you. Believe me I tried."

She shrugged in frustration.

"But I can't make myself hate you." she sighed defeatedly.

He looked slightly relieved and glanced at their daughter.

"Dylan was worried we were getting a divorce." he admitted.

"No, no divorce." she told him. That black bird on her shoulder seemed to have flown away.

"Good." he sighed. "You know I'd starve to death if you left me."

"I know." she agreed quickly. Her expression still serious.

"So, please don't ever leave me." he said. "No matter what stupid thing I do next."

"Well, how many stupid things are you planning to do?" she asked.

"I haven't decided yet." he said and leaned over to get a better look at the sleeping infant. "But, I promise I'll never want to divorce you. Ever."

"Fine." she sighed. "It's behind us now. It's over. Let's not talk about it anymore."

He nodded and they both looked lovingly at their daughter.

"I went to Nevada." he said at last.

"What was in Nevada?"

"Allison Clark Dyson." he said. "I met my real mother."

 **I plan to have Normero sexy time soon, as fan requested. I also plan to have Norma/Dylan time, as requested.**

 **I'm not sure when exactly, but I will take a brief hiatus from this story and work on another Bates Motel Project. Something about Norma surviving the gas in season 4 and Alex convincing her to put Norman in Pine View again.**

 **When I return to this story, there will be another time jump and everyone will be older. Closer to the start of the series I think. I'm not sure when the hiatus will start, but it won't be too much longer. I plan to reintroduce Emma very soon and Alex will confront George for still being in love with Norma.**

 **Any fan requests, give me a shout out. But negative anonymous "reviews" telling me to quit my story and my only readers are stupid high school kids will not be responded to. A normal person, if they don't like a story, stops reading it. They don't try to get the writer to stop writing it. As a reminder, I don't write this story for you, I write this story for myself and the readers who want to read it.**

 **I know you're reading this now because, as much as you want to hate it, you can't seem to stop reading it so you can throw shade my way. It's not going to work. I've done this for a while now and I know the difference between constructive criticism and what you're doing.**

 **Another question I've been getting a lot; have I been reading other Bates Motel fanfic. Yes, I have. I've been starting a lot of them and then not finishing them. I don't do this to be mean or snobby. Being in someone else's world distracts from the world I'm creating with the same characters. If someone writes Norma and Alex one way, that way might be really great, but it's not apart of the world I'm creating for these same characters to inhabit.**

 **I'm glad there are so many Normero fanfics out there. My updating everyday may put me on top and it may be true that some stories are WAY better than this one. That is totally fine. I'm sure they are great and the writers who created them are amazingly talented. But I'm am focused on my world and updating everyday takes a lot of energy and work.**

 **Again, if you don't like this story, sign into Fanfic and leave a REAL review. Otherwise, I'm going to delete it. It's pretty tacky to bully someone to quit writing just because you don't like their story. Anyway's it's not going to work on me. Especially since you don't have the balls to give your real name. Why should I respect your onion when you leave comments under guest all day telling me how everyone hates me and how I need to quit? How does that profit you?**

 **So, I'm going to keep writing, and you'll have your misery. Good luck with that. ~ Leah**


	146. Chapter 146

146.

~ "She was very attractive." Alex said honestly. "She looked a lot like me."

"Oh, so that automatically makes her attractive?" Norma laughed.

"You think I'm handsome."

"I never said that." Norma told him seriously. "In fact, all the women of White Pine Bay think you're very ugly."

"Damn." he sighed.

"What was she like?" Norma asked. That smile coming back to her face that made Alex's heart flutter. It felt like they were a new couple again. That they had just started down a tentative road of romance.

Charlotte was, as was becoming normal, nestled between them on the bed. The baby now enjoying more moments awake that didn't involve eating and crying. She looked back and forth between her parents as they talked.

Because they were parents first, Norma and Alex had to wait until after dinner had been cooked, eaten and the boys bullied into bath time and bed before they could enjoy any alone time. Then, they weren't truly alone with Charlotte needing attention every few hours.

"She was smart." Alex told his wife. "She works at a really nice law firm. She's a law librarian or something. I think she does a lot of research. She sounds incredibly intelligent. She's very fierce. Doesn't put up with any bullshit."

"She's mean?" Norma asked with a frown.

"I wouldn't say mean." Alex told her honestly. "As much as I loved my mother, the woman who raised me, I think she didn't have the same kind of fortitude Allison has."

Norma looked sad for a moment and let Charlotte play with her fingers.

"Your real mom wouldn't have committed suicide." Norma told him gently.

"No." he agreed. "I think it was best that Sybil lied to her. Lied to me. Allison never would have been successful if she was raising a child at only sixteen. She wouldn't have gotten her education, she probably wouldn't have married rich. Had a career. Maybe it was for the best."

"Alex, Sybil **stole** you. Your parents lied to you your entire life about who you really are." Norma reminded him. "It doesn't matter how well things turned out. You and Allison were victims here."

"She doesn't see it that way." he confessed.  
"What do you mean?" she asked.

Alex watched his daughter grip tightly to Norma's ring finger. His mother's engagement ring still sparkled brilliantly. Only it wasn't his mother's ring at all. It was some manic depressant woman who was willing to do whatever it took to have a baby.  
"She planned to give me up anyway. She got cold feet towards the end." he confessed.

He could feel Norma looking over him carefully.

"Is that what Allison told you?" she asked.

"Yes." he said. "She kept calling the baby she thought she lost ' _It_ '." he said shaking his head.

"I'm sorry, Alex." Norma breathed.

"She must have put all this behind her. She seemed surprised to learn that her child was still alive. Embarrassed to admit she even had a baby."

"What did she say when you told her you were her son?" Norma asked.

"She guessed it. All on her own." Alex admitted. "It seems I look enough like my biological father for her to put it all together."

Norma sat up in bed a little.  
"Did you get to meet you real dad?" she asked.  
"No, he died two years ago. Allison hadn't been in contact with him since before I was born. I got the feeling they didn't have a good relationship. She wouldn't elaborate on it."

"What was his name?"

"She wouldn't tell me."

"Wouldn't tell you?" Norma huffed.

Alex had to smile a little at his tiger getting so angry on his behalf again. He had to wonder who would come out on top in an actual battle of stubbornness and anger; Norma or Allison.

"How could she not tell you? It's who you are." she snapped.

"Maybe it was upsetting. For all I know the guy was horrible to her." he said.

"She needs to at least give you a name." Norma pouted.

"We talked for about an hour. She wanted to know about my work and my life here. I told her that I was the youngest elected Sheriff of White Pine Bay. That I married a very attractive widow named Norma who had two sons from her previous marriage. That I adopted them. That we live on a little farm and we have a daughter together. I even gave her the picture of Charlotte out of my wallet. That one you took of her after I fed her and she kept sticking her tongue out?" he reminded her.

Norma and Alex looked simultaneously down at Charlotte who seemed delighted they were paying attention to her.

"She told me about my half siblings." Alex went on.  
"You have sisters and brothers?" Norma said in surprise.

"A half brother named Mark. He's seventeen. A half sister named Gillian, she's fifteen." he told her.

"Do they know? Will Allison tell them?" Norma asked.

"I'm not sure." Alex said. He rolled off the bed and scooped Charlotte up. The baby was getting tired and it was past time for her to be put to sleep.

"Should we tell the boys?" Norma asked while he carefully placed the baby in her crib on the other side of the room.

"I don't see what good it would do." Alex told her. He watched Charlotte try to fight sleep, but her eyes, dark lashes and all, kept batting shut. "They never knew the parents that raised me. If Allison doesn't want anything to do with me, that's fine. The ball's in her court now."

"What if she decides she doesn't want to see you?" Norma asked.

Alex had turned back to his wife and rejoined her in bed.  
"Well, then I guess we just go on with our lives." he said.  
"Alex." Norma scolded.  
"Norma, I'm not going to force this woman to have a relationship with me if she doesn't want one. She was obviously very content with her life. She wouldn't have had any of those things if she had kept me." he reasoned.  
"You would have still had a mother." she told him.

He sighed and rolled over to her. His hand resting on her hip as their eyes met.  
"It's enough that my children have a good mother, Norma. It's more than enough." he confessed.

He hadn't expected her to kiss him like that. Kiss him with such authority and demanding attention that he had to remember to breathe again.

Norma, his fearless tiger, was so guarded against physical affection. There were times, even after they were married, when she could only hug him with her arms over her chest. Her body language protective of herself at all times. Even with a husband who wanted to be close to her. At times it felt like trying to coax a wild animal to get closer to him. Maybe it was still a remnant of battered woman's syndrome, but Norma had walls nothing could break down.

As a result, Alex always had to make the first move sexually. It was always him who made physical contact first, who had to put in the work so she would be at ease. Norma was worth the effort though. Always had been. Although she would never completely give herself to anyone, her warmth natural radiance was apart of a sexual allure Romero couldn't resist. Her normal kiss was gentle and almost submissive to him. Now, her lips were insistent he do something about their long neglected sex life.  
He felt the rush and excitement all through his body as she depend her kiss. Her lips moving over his in a dance they both knew the steps to. Maybe it was because it had been so long, but it felt like their first kiss. The rush and fear of something exciting and new. Of looking at this other person, seeing them for the first time.

Alex pulled away from her slightly, only to have his tiger attack his neck. His ability to think properly was losing ground by the second and he was about to surrender himself to her.  
"What about the baby?" he whispered and stole a glance at the crib.  
"She'll be asleep for at least four hours, Sheriff." Norma said sweetly into his ear.

Alex wasn't sure exactly what she had said. His body heating up and his pants becoming uncomfortably tight, but he was fairly sure Norma told him not to worry.

He gasped in carnal delight when she exposed his skin to the cool air of their bedroom. Her lips teasing his flesh as she kissed a delicious trail down his chest.

"Come here." he groaned and pulled her back up to face him. His wife's dress, blue and perfect for summer, seemed to melt off her and he was fascinated and pleased she hadn't bothered to wear a bra. Nursing their daughter had increased the size of her breasts, but they were not too disproportionate to her slight frame.

Norma was smiling knowingly at him. Her legs straddled over his lap in a cruel torment that gave him some happiness, but no satisfaction.  
"I want you." he demanded harshly. "All of you."

His tiger needed no further commands. Her dress and panties sliding off her body and he was rewarded with the perfection of woman. It was hard to believe she had given birth barely two months ago now. That she had carried twins and had two older children on top of that. Norma had been blessed to have a body that could so easily come back from having children. Her body, her hips, stomach and her breasts looked as firm and lush as if she in her early twenties and never had a child.

Without waiting for her to fully undress, for her beauty to bloom like a wild flower, Alex was pulling off his pants and was glad to see that his own excitement was more than ready for her.

"You sure you wanna do this?" he asked. He could feel the throb of his member in his own hand as he worked himself up in anticipation.

"I'm sure I wanna do this." she whispered back. Her voice pleading with a childish need he found oddly arousing. He watched, as she started stroking herself to prepare for him.  
"Are you sure? It's been enough time?" he asked.

"Stop being a gentleman." she ordered and, savagely, she pulled him on top of her.

Alex couldn't wait another second to join himself to her body. His excited member slipping inside and the feel of her, smooth, warm and so wonderfully good made all the air leave his lungs for a moment. She was kissing him again and he wasn't sure where their kissing started and where their actual lovemaking began. It was exciting and beautiful to feel how much she wanted him. How her body, still soft and ripe from having his child, felt under him. Her bare flesh on his, their bodies feeling warm and perfect when they were together.

His wife's hands running down his back and he feared she might claw at him when she reached orgasam. He thrust inside of her and, as predicted, her nails raked against his back savagely.

Without asking, without being a gentleman, Alex easily pinned her hands down beside her head. His tiger not seeming to mind too much being restrained as he increased in rhythm.

He lost himself in her. Their movements, their bodies writhing like they were no longer two separate beings. Their joining felt easy and natural. As if this was how they could spend eternity.

Alex felt her inner walls contract hard on his member and felt her legs try to clamp shut around his waist. He was barely able to keep her restrained as she gave out animal like cry of satisfaction. He quickly smothered her cry with a kiss. The fact that their infant daughter was barely five feet away wasn't lost on him.

Norma tried to buck him off her. Her orgasam seeming to take on a life of it's own. Her restless energy wanting to destroy him in the midst of what was no longer lovemaking, but simply carnal lust.

"Baby." he whispered gently as she tried to break free of him holding her down. "Please."

Norma gasped and let out a slight moan for him. Her inner walls contracted hard around him to the point he couldn't hold himself back anymore.

He came for her then. His body flooding with relief and relaxing with his own climax. He allowed himself to rest on top of her. His wife seeming content to support his weight all night if needed. They were both breathing hard, as if they'd run a mile when all they'd done was stay in bed.

She was kissing him again. Her lips gently dotting his neck. Her hands, he didn't realize he'd released her, were running over his back.  
"I love you." she whispered in his ear.  
"I love you to." he said easily. "I always have. First night I met you, I knew I wanted this with you."

He sensed she was smiling.  
"First night, Sheriff?" she teased. Her skin feeling wonderful on his bare flesh.  
"It's why I paid for you motel room for you and the boys, Mrs. Romero." he told her weakly. "I… I wanted to...to do more for you. I wanted to be your white knight."

"I have to confess something to you to." she whispered.

"What?"

"I think you're very handsome."


	147. Chapter 147

147.

~ "So how has the Sheriff been, Mrs. Romero?" Doctor Edwards asked.  
Norma put on her fake smile again and nodded happily.

"He's doing very well. Work keeps him very busy." she told him.

Doctor Edwards seemed to study her for a moment or two and the went back to taking notes.

"Charlotte is how old now?" the doctor asked.

"She's four months old now. She's wanting to eat solid foods and I'm letting her." Norma told him. "She started sleeping through the night a little more. She does better when she's in our room with us." Norma told him.  
"Well, it's important that you and your husband have some alone time. It can't be just work and kids." the doctor told her.

"Alex would agree with you. He thinks we need to have Charlotte in her own room." Norma explained.

"You don't agree?" Doctor Edwards asked.  
"No, I don't." she said.

Norma twitched her foot back and forth again. Her arms crossing over her chest slightly.  
"You're the mother here. I've always found mother's really do know what's best for the child in question." Edwards said in that soft spoken voice of his. "Is there another reason you're not telling me about? Another reason why you don't want Charlotte to be in her own room?"

"We still haven't cleared out Michael's things." Norma snapped.

She was growing a little irritated at this doctor who seemed to know things he shouldn't. Who seemed to be catching her in a lie but never calling her out on it.  
"Michael's crib is still in the nursery and I don't have the heart to take it apart. I don't have it in me to give away his clothes. I have the quilt I made him on the crib still." she sighed. "I made it while I was stuck on bed rest. It's from our old clothes. Alex's and mine. I put it on his crib when I was done. We use Charlotte's because she's here. We don't even go into the nursery now."

Doctor Edwards was silent a little while. He watched Norma's body language.

"A lot of parents keep the bedroom of a lost child perfectly intact." he said at last. "It's actually very normal to keep that room as a type of shrine to the child they lost."

"Those are children who were actually born." Norma said weakly. "Children who lived long enough to use a room of their own. Michael never even took a breath of air. All his things; he never wore the clothes I bought him."

She looked at her hands and laced her fingers together.  
"I never got to wrap him up in the quilt I made him." she admitted.

"Norma, it's normal to feel these things. It's normal to feel remorse for someone who was gone before they could actually live." Doctor Edwards said. "For what it's worth, I think you're handling yourself and your family very well. Charlotte's needs are being taken care of. You and your husband seem to have a very loving relationship. Your two sons have a stable home. There is a lot of good things happening for you right now."

Norma nodded.  
"What about the nursery?" Norma asked.

"What about it?" Doctor Edwards said.

Norma looked at him in surprise and he smiled.  
"The smart money is that as soon as Charlotte enters the terrible two's, her parents won't have any troubles kicking her out of their room and fixing the nursery as less of a shrine to Michael, and more of a bedroom for Charlotte. Right now, it's fine to have the baby with you. Soon enough, all three of you will want more space. Maybe you can start planning how you'll decorate her room. Maybe thats enough for now. We don't have to move Michael's things out. We certainly don't have to throw them away. Right now, we just need to make plans to give Charlotte her own room." he said.

Norma nodded and felt herself relax a little.

"Maybe." she admitted.

"We have some time left. Why don't we all about your life goals?" he said.  
"I'm a mother, I don't have life goals." she said quickly.

"That's an easy copout." Doctor Edwards accused.  
Norma laughed.

"Well, it's true." She admitted. "I don't have time for myself. The only time I have for myself is when I see you once a week. I have to leave Charlotte with a sitter and I hate doing that. The boys are finally back in school and I can have a normal peaceful home again. They spent almost all summer building this fort with Alex helping them. Then, I get a pack of mangy looking little boys and girls in my yard all summer because Norman and Dylan have this amazing fort with electricity in the back yard and I'm the one who has to make snack food for the entire lot of them. You should see it, Doctor Edwards, it's like Road Warrior there."

"Sounds great." he smiled. "Your boys are very lucky to have a safe home for them and their friends."

"I suppose." Norma sighed. "When I was little, I always wanted to have a home like the one my kids have now."

She hadn't meant to say that out loud. It just came out.

"I wanted a place where I wasn't afraid to bring my friends over. Where they could come and go and everything would be lovely. Where I wasn't ashamed of my parents and where everyone would think, would know, that I had a nice place to live. That I was a nice girl who had nice things." she said.

"It important for children to feel secure in their home. For them to feel good about it. For their friends to be welcome." he said.

Norma nodded.

"I guess that's why I've allowed it." Norma sighed. "Alex was even talking about building a pool outback. I told him no. Between the boys, the dogs, the baby and a bunch of kids I don't even know, I feel like the old woman who lived in a shoe."

Doctor Edwards chuckled slightly.

"I have a feeling that if Dylan and Norman were here right now, they would tell me how great their mom is." he said.

Norma smiled to herself slightly. She **was** a good mother. She was a good mother to her children, a good wife to her husband, a good cook and a good housekeeper. Maybe that was why her boys always had friends over.

"Yeah." she said at last. "Maybe they would."

~ It was early fall when Alex found himself yet again in the Lawson family pew next to Norma. Charlotte was sitting on her lap, Dylan on his other side and Norman next to his mother.

He hadn't wanted to go to church, but Norma had mentioned something about George asking if she and the kids wanted to join him for breakfast after services.

Alex knew exactly what George was trying to do, and decided to join his family. It wasn't as bad as he thought it would be. Danny was a very relaxed pastor and saved the formalities for the early services. He promptly gave a quick lecture about faith before dismissing the younger children to Sunday school. Norman and Dylan eager to get away from the boredom of church in favor of being with other kids.

It seemed Dylan and Norman had become increasing popular over the summer. Maybe it was because of the club house he'd built for them. He'd been a little impressed with it himself. It was spacious and would no doubt service their own kids one day. He had to pause a moment at the idea of Dylan and Norman getting married and having children. Children who would play in the clubhouse their grandfather built.

With this in mind, Alex devoted all his free time, and money to the project. He'd wired it with electricity, painted it, put in real windows, shingles and even laid down linoleum flooring. The result was basically a little house that was complete with everything but a bathroom. Norma drew the line there and Alex never told her where the boys were no doubt doing their business in the yard and woods beyond. The less she knew about that detail, the happier and safer everyone would be.

She wasn't overly fond of the friends that came through the farm to play with Norman and Dylan everyday that summer. A lot of them looking rather bedraggled and in need of proper care. They were delighted when his wife brought them food at the club house. All of them very pleased with these accommodations and kept coming back. When he mentioned building a pool, Norma put her foot down.  
"Absolutely not, Sheriff." she had snapped. "It's bad enough I have to feed the little vermin that come here to see Dylan and Norman. God only knows what they drag in. I don't want the boys to be so comfortable at home that they never leave. I'm counting down the days till Dylan leaves for college."

"What about Charlotte?" Alex had asked. He had nodded to the baby who grinned back at him. Charlotte's blue eyes flashing brightly at seeing him smile at her.

"She can stay. We both agreed she's going to take care of us when we're old." Norma reminded him.

Alex picked his daughter up and kissed her cheek.  
"Sorry about that, sweetheart. You can't ever get married and leave us." he told her.

Charlotte grinned at him happily.

Alex was grateful Danny had chosen a more bible study type of sermon. It felt more like watching an episode of the history channel and less like church for him. He was always watching these kinds of documentaries with the boys after dinner. Norma didn't like it because history was too full of sex and violence.

Danny kept the service short and to the point. Which Alex was grateful. He was one of the first to stand up upon dismissal and throw a knowing look at George across the aisle. Romero didn't miss the slightly disappointed look on Mayor Helden's face when he saw that the Sheriff was there.

As much as he wanted to like George, he knew that he was still in love with Norma.

Norma was following Alex, proudly holding Charlotte for all to see and fawn over. Charlotte, for her part, seemed to enjoy everyone's praises. She sat up strait and looked every visitor in the eye. Her brothers, sadly were instantly bickering as soon as they left the house of God.

Alex wasn't able to scold them because a stranger, who was somehow familiar to him, approached the little family.  
"Sheriff Romero?" a balding man asked. His accent not clear right away where he was from.  
"Yes?" Alex said stepping in front of Norma and the boys. His instinct telling him to keep himself between this stranger and his family.

"I'm sorry to bother you at Church and all." the man said in a english accent. "I was wondering if I might have a word."

Alex nodded to the man to walk with him. As Sheriff, he was always paranoid about strangers here. Especially when they were around his family.

"What seems to be the trouble?" Alex asked.  
"My daughter Emma." the man said. "Look I don't know if you remember, but you and I have met before. I'm Will Decody. We met at the children's hospital in Portland a few years back. Your son and your wife, I met them both. Your wife took care of my girl Emma. Now, my ex-wife Audrey has taken my girl and says she won't give her back. She has visitation, but she's not supposed to take her forever. It's been three days. I've been to the police and they tell me it's a matter for the family court."

"Mr. Decody, it is a matter for the family court. We can only do something if there is a direct attempt at kidnapping. Do you know where Emma is?" Alex asked.

"Yes, she's down at a motel by the highway. Sheriff, my daughter has a serious medical condition and my ex-wife is using that as leverage against me."

"Is the child's condition enough to cause death if not treated properly?" Alex asked. He hated custody disputes among parents. It was horrible to witness on the outside and it must be horrible for the child caught in the middle.

"She has cystic fibrosis. I'd say not being able to breathe is pretty serious." Will told him.

Alex nodded.

"Alright." he said and looked back at his own daughter. He noticed it didn't take George Helden long to stop by and say hello to Norma as soon as Alex had walked away.

"Alright, Mr. Deocdy, I'm going to radio this in and then I will personally go out to do a welfare check on your daughter." Alex said.

"Thank you, Sheriff." Will sighed. "She's at that old dump, The Seafarer Inn."

"I know where that is." Alex sighed.

He nodded to Will to wait for him and walked back to Norma. She already seemed to know what was going on. Norma was used to the hazards of marrying a sheriff.  
"I have to go with this man, Norma." he explained. George, as soon as Alex returned, stepped back. "He needs help. I'm sorry."

"Go on, Sheriff." his wife smiled affectionally. "Go be a hero."

He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. Happy that they were still in love with each other. Happy that they were still intimate and there was no specter of divorce between them.

Sheriff Romero turned to Mayor Helden.  
"I thought you were planning to shut down that old motel." Alex accused.


	148. Chapter 148

148.

~ "Keith Summers was released from prison after serving a two year sentence. He was in a halfway house for a while, then he managed to get the house and motel back from Mayor Helden." Washington explained over the radio. Alex had chosen to ride to the motel with his deputy and let Norma take the children home in the old girl.

"How?" Romero barked angrily. He didn't like the fact that the house with it's sordid history and the motel, which was even worse, was in operation again.

"Seems the bank repossessed it unlawfully. It made the sale to the mayor void. They had to give it back to him." Washington said.  
"Why am I just now finding this out?" the Sheriff asked.

"I found out yesterday. I don't know, Sheriff. It seemed unlikely Summers would reopen the motel. It's not exactly a place anyone would want to stay in." Washington said.

Romero winced when he saw the faded sign of the Seafarer Inn. The ominous looking Queen Ann, the memories of the terrible things he'd seen there came flooding back to him. Seeing Brian and his sister, seeing Norma dead on the couch, none of that could be real. Could it?

No, he must have dreamed it. Something that bizarre could only exist in dreams.

"What room did Will Decody say his wife was in?" Alex asked.

"Room 1." Washington said as he pulled the patrol SUV into the parking lot. For a run down motel, Keith Summers was doing a lot of business. Alex noticed all the cars here were older models and hardly any of them from out of state. It seemed the Sea Farer was now the hot spot for prostitution and other unsavory things in town. It had been before. Anytime there was a any kind of trouble or violence, it was almost always at this motel. Chaos always seemed to swirl around this property. Maybe it was apart of it's curse.

Alex was the first to step out of the SUV when he spotted Will Decody waving to them and pointing to room 1.

"She's got my girl in there, Sheriff." Will said. "Please, Emma needs to be at home with the right kind of medication. She had trouble breathing most days and-"

"It's alright." Alex said calmly. "We're just going to talk to her mother and make sure the girl is okay."

Romero knew better than to get involved in a custody dispute between two warring parents. They didn't appear to have an official custody agreement yet and he wasn't about to let himself or his department act as family court. A welfare check on a sick child was all he was willing to do.

Washington stood in front of Mr. Decody took keep the parents calm and Romero took the lead and knocked on the door.

Right away, he could smell the odor of pot from the motel room. The brunette woman who answered was very pretty. She had long brown hair that reached her waist and was intricately arranged in braids and pins. Her clothing was unique and she was well suited the bohemian style she portrayed.

"Audrey Decody?" Alex asked and looked her over carefully. It wasn't that he minded all the jewelry, the garish earrings and necklaces, he just wasn't a fan of it. He liked the fact Norma only wore her wedding ring and nothing else. She had only one nice pair of earrings, but it was rare to see her wear them.

Audrey looked at him with suspicion.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I'm Sheriff Alex Romero. I was asked to do a welfare check on you and your daughter."

"Asked by who?"

"Your ex husband." Romero said honestly. "He says Emma has a medical condition. I need to see if she's alright."

"Emma's fine. She's… taking a bath right now."

"We can wait." Alex said quickly.

"No, I don't want you to scare her."  
"Cut the crap, Audrey!" growled Will Decody.

Romero turned to Washington and nodded. His deputy quickly moving Will off the porch and away from room 1.

"Look, let me make sure your daughter is okay. Then we can leave. Her father seems worried." Alex said.

He peered into the room and saw a small figure was in the bed. The Sea Farer Inn hadn't updated it's ragged bedding in years. It looked like it belonged to the early sixties in here. He shuddered at the idea of Norma and his children in a place like this. Especially Charlotte staying here. But such an idea was ridiculous. If Norma was in this situation, she would never stay in a place as horrible as this. Not that Norma would ever be in a situation close to this. Not if Alex had a say in it.

"Mrs. Decody, this really isn't the best place for your daughter." he said confidentially. "This motel? It's got a bad reputation. Who's your social worker? Maybe we can set up a better place for the two of you."

"I don't need a social worker. We're fine." Audrey told him. "He just wants to make me the bad guy. That's all Will does."

She went to slam the door in Romero's face, but the Sheriff was having none of that. He could see the little girl in the bed, her long brown hair spread out on the pillow. Heard her coughing slightly.

Alex pushed Audrey out of the way and stormed into the motel room.

"You can't come in here!" Audrey shouted.

"Yeah?" Alex challenged. "Call someone."

With the smell of pot and Audrey lying to him, that was all the probable cause he needed.

Romero went to the bed and saw the little girl looking pale and wheezing for air. Emma Decody looked up at Sheriff Romero with big frightened eyes. She reminded him instantly of a neglected puppy that only wanted to be loved.  
"It's going to be alright." he whispered and felt the girl's face. She was cold and clammy. Her breath coming in tight gasps. Romero grabbed the phone off the night stand and tried to call 911. He didn't hear a dial tone.

' _Of course the phone doesn't work in this shit hole_.' he thought bitterly.

He could radio an ambulance, but the girl looked in danger of dying right in front of him.

Thinking of his own daughter, if she was gasping for breath like this, he pulled the covers back and saw that Emma had wet the bed. The stain on the sheets was already dried and dark brown. Her mother had left her wet for hours.

He picked Emma up and carried the girl to the SUV.

"Washington, we have to get her to the hospital now." Romero said calmly taking the little girl, her body shaking with her struggle to breathe, to the vehicle.

"Emma!" Will cried in horror at seeing his daughter in distress. "Audrey, what have you done?"

Sheriff Romero didn't stay to witness the two parents fighting as their child was dying. Instead, he laid the girl out in the back seat, Washington, a devoted father himself, climbed in back with her. He was telling her to be a brave girl. Telling her she wasn't under arrest and she could tell all her friends in school how she got to ride in the police car.

"We're even going to turn on the lights and sirens for you, little one." Washington said happily.

As if on cue, Alex turned on the lights and sirens and backed out of the parking lot for the hospital.

~ Emma was crying when Romero carried her into the ER. Her breathing too difficult to really cry out loud, but her face was streaked with tears. The Sheriff had radio ahead, they knew she was coming and had equipment set up for her already.

"Where are the parents?" the doctor asked once Emma was on the table.

"Still fighting over who's fault this is." Alex grumbled.

"We need oxygen." the doctor said. "We also need the parents to give us permission to do anything to her."

"Do what you have to do." Alex ordered. "I might just arrest them both for this bullshit."

~ Will Decody arrived at the ER not long after Alex delivered Emma to the waiting doctors for help.  
"It's the CF." the poor father said helplessly. "It's why I was so worried for her. Audrey just uses Emma to hurt me. She thinks our girl can be treated with tea and vegetables. That sort of thing. Emma needs doctors and real medicine to help her. Not this nonsense Audrey is trying to do to her. You know she refused to give Emma her medication because they weren't vegan? Insisted we throw them all out because animals were tested on while-"

"Why don't we focus on your daughter, Mr. Decody." Alex said at last. "You haven't asked about her."

Will Decody looked ashamed of himself.

"Sorry. Yes, is she going to be alright?" he asked.  
"I'm not sure." Alex told him. "She's not breathing very well. The doctors have her on oxygen."

"Right. I should have asked after Emma first. Audrey just brings out the worst in me. I can't seem to stop it." Will said.

Alex shook his head. Will Decody was too focused on hating his ex wife right now than to worry about Emma.

"The doctor will be out to see you and tell you how she is." Romero said stiffly.

~ "I'm not Sybil Lawson." Eric Rodes said curtly.

Sheriff Romero scowled at the new director of social services to White Pine Bay. Eric Rodes had been deputy director under Sybil but had obviously coasted for years. Sybil's old office was now a maze of paper work that was piled up to Romero's waist.

"I know you're not. If you were, you wouldn't have let Audrey Decody take possession of her daughter. You know she had the girl at the old Sea Farer Motel?" Alex asked.

"Thought that place was shut down." Eric said.  
"It was re-opened. Keith Summers is out and has the property back." Romero said darkly. "How was Audrey Decody allowed to take custody of a very sick girl when she was living in that motel? Didn't you do a home visit?"

"She must have fallen through the cracks." Eric told him honestly. "We're trying to pick up a lot of slack here now that Sybil is gone. She worked for decades as her own agent, remember? Do you? She claimed to be semi-retired but put in over fifty hours a week."

"So, about forty hours more than you've been putting in." Alex accused.

Eric glared at him.

"We're overburdened as it is, Sheriff. The natural parents of the girl have joint custody. The court decided that. That's where our job ends." he said.

"Bullshit. That's where your job begins. Look, I've already arrested Audrey Decody today for child abuse and possession. Do you job, Eric. I want the welfare of this very sick girl investigated. Do it by the end of the day or I'll arrest you next." he barked.

"You can't arrest me, Sheriff." Eric huffed.

"Wanna bet?" Alex said with a knowingly. Eric sank back in his chair. Clearly, Romero's fearsome reputation in town wasn't all gossip.

~ "Sheriff." Norma said letting herself into her husband's office. She had brought him a fresh change of clothes and his uniform from the dry cleaners.

"Have you eaten yet? When's you're lunch break?" she asked. She hung up his dry cleaning on the coat rack and folded his clean change of clothes in one of the cabinets by the window.

Alex watched her from his desk. He'd been filling out the incident and arrest report from that morning and was glad to see his wife had come to take care of him.

"Not yet." he said and stood up. "Where are the kids?"

"Charlotte is with Clarice. The boys are in the lobby looking at the wanted posters to see if they know any one." Norma said. "How did it go?"

Alex closed his office door so they would be alone.

"Awful." he said. "You remember when Norman was having the seizures? At the hospital? That little girl who was crying and you sang to her? Her father is living here now and her mother… it's terrible. They used to love each other and now they can only hate each other. That little girl almost died today. I had to drive her to the emergency room myself."

"But she's going to be okay?" Norma asked worriedly.

"She has CF. She's never going to be okay. Not really." Alex told her. "I just don't understand how a mother could do that to her own child. You would never let Charlotte go without medical care. Or Dylan or Norman. You wouldn't just ignore it and hope it gets better."

"Hopefully not." Norma sighed.

"You wouldn't let a child wet the bed and leave them there." he told her.

"Oh, Alex." she sighed and wrapped her arms around him. Alex reveled in the feel of his wife's embrace. Not just her body, but the knowledge that she was a good mother. That Charlotte and the boys would never suffer like Emma had today.

"I just… I just wish you had been there." he told her. "I feel like you would have known how to help her more."

"You helped her." Norma told him. "You got her to the hospital. That's all you could do."

"It's not enough." he sighed. "It was terrifying to see her gasping like that."

"I would have loved to have seen you rescuing that little girl." Norma told him and kissed his neck. "You always look so handsome saving children."

Alex tried not to smile. He felt better with Norma here. Felt safer somehow. His arms wrapped around her body like he couldn't let her go.

"You save her. I'm proud of you. I've always been proud of you, Sheriff." she whispered.

 **I was wondering if anyone noticed. In the movie and book 'Psycho' by Robert Bloch, there is this scene where Mary/ Marian's boyfriend and sister find the local Sheriff leaving church with his family. They ask about the missing girl and about Norman Bates. I wanted to imitate that part of it with Alex and Norma. All of which would lead back to the infamous motel.**

 **Thank you everyone for the kind reviews and good thoughts. I'm working on my new story now and I hope to post it very soon. When we come back to TSCB, everyone will be much older and, hopefully, better off.**


	149. Chapter 149

149.

~ "I arrived at the Sea Farer Inn with deputy Washington, went to room Mr. Dedoy indicated and knocked on the door. When Mrs. Decody, the defendant, answered, I smelled pot. I asked about her daughter Emma. Mrs. Decody said she was in the bathtub and was fine. I clearly saw the child was in the bed. I heard her coughing and pushed my way into the room." Sheriff Romero explained.

"What was your probable cause for entering the motel room, Sheriff?" the judge asked.

"Other than the smell of illegal drugs?" Sheriff Romero asked. "Mrs. Decody lied to me about the location of her daughter."

"What happened then?" the judge asked.

"I found the child, Emma Decody in bed. I was later told by doctors she was in respiratory distress. I saw for myself she had trouble breathing. When I tried to use the phone in the motel, I discovered it wasn't working." Romero said.

"What did you do then?"

"I removed the covers off the child so I should take her to the hospital."

"And?"

"I found that Emma Decody, six years old, had wet the bed. That the urine had already dried." Romero said soberly.  
"Why didn't the child get up and go to the bathroom?" the judge asked.

"I was told by her doctor she had been too weak to move." Alex explained.

"Why?"

"Because her condition had not been treated correctly by her immediate caregiver."

"Who was her caregiver at the time all this occurred?"

"Mrs. Audrey Decody." Sheriff Romero said.

~ "People… people look at me funny with these things in my nose. I can't smell anything." Emma said.

Norma was brushing and rearranging the girl's hair to try and detract attention away from the nasal tubbing that looped around the child's ears and neck. There wasn't much she could do to make the tubing less noticeable.

"People look at you because you're a pretty girl with beautiful brown eyes." Norma told the little girl who fidgeted on her lap.

One of the duties she found that befell a Sheriff's wife was having to pick up the slack when other people's lives fell apart. Norma, along with other good women of the town had become an army of babysitters, cooks, housekeepers and everything in between. Today, while her parents were in court, Norma was minding Emma.

It was an easy job for her and they could stay in the court house play room till the judge called the little girl to testify in the custody hearing.

"I still can't smell anything." Emma complained. Norma was about to give up on styling the girl's thick brown hair. She'd decided to let it hang natural to conceal the tubes.

"As soon as you're better, you won't have to wear this anymore." Norma said. She looked down at the oxygen tank Emma was having to carry around with her. It was the kind of thing meant for an older person to use, not for a little girl.

"I'll go to school soon." Emma said happily.

"Yes, you will. You'll be in the same grade as my son Norman. My other son, Dylan will be in the same school as you two. He's going to make sure you get on the right bus and go to the right class. I've already told him to look after you." Norma told her.

"It's like I have brothers?" Emma asked hopefully.

"Exactly." Norma told her. "Dylan and Norman are going to be there and you'll make friends right away. A girl as pretty as you are. All the girls will want to be your friend and all the boys will want to marry you."

"I don't want to get married. I want to be a fox." Emma said.  
"A fox?" Norma asked.

Emma nodded.

"My dad has a stuffed fox in his shop. He used to be alive, but now he's just the fur with glass eyes." the child said. "He's full of sawdust and made of wood."

"Oh." Norma said in slight shock. Will must have a taxidermy fox in his place of business.

"His name is Simon and he's a gentleman fox." Emma said. "I tell my dad all his adventures and he writes them down everyday before bedtime."  
"What kind of adventures does a fox have?" Norma asked with an amused grin.

"Well, Simon is only the most proper of gentleman you see." Emma said with a real passion. "The most important thing a gentleman can be is clever, well dressed, charming and kind."

"Very true."

"Simon doesn't just lay about in his hole all day either. He solves mysteries. His friends are always getting into trouble. So, Simon dresses up in his waistcoat and bow tie, puts his spectacles on and solves the case. But the most important thing is, he's a gentleman. He has a lady friend who he loves and wants to marry. Her name is Lydia and she's a fox to. But she isn't interested in being his wife and he's willing to charm her until she is." Emma explained.

"Because he's a gentleman fox." Norma said.  
"Yes." Emma nodded. "A gentleman never ruins a lady's reputation and he's too fond of Lydia to have the other animals gossip about her."

"Simon sounds very nice." Norma said.  
"Yes. He writes letters to Lydia when he gets back to his hole after he's solved a case. He tells her how he wishes he had company, but he never implies that she should marry him. Even though she will of course."

"Of course." Norma agreed.

"She's too busy traveling. She's an explorer and she's off seeing the world. Simon is willing to wait for her to come to him." Emma said.

"Emma, I want to read this book when you're done." Norma told him.

"Dad writes all the words down for me." Emma said. "I can't read very well yet."

"You will." Norma told her.

"I've got a lot more to write about Simon. I've been working on the story a lot these past few days. I think I'll have Simon solve the case of a missing baby squirrel." Emma said thoughtfully.

"Oh?"

"Yes." Emma said. "A baby squirrel goes missing and the police can't find it. The daddy squirrel is frantic."

"What animal is the police?" Norma asked.  
"I'm not sure yet." Emma said.

"How about a bear?"

"Bears are big and mean."

"This bear will be a nice bear. Well, he's a grumpy bear, but nice in his own way." Norma coaxed.

"Why would a grumpy bear want to help find a squirrel?" Emma asked doubtfully.

Norma thought about it for a while.  
"Well, because even though he's a grumpy bear, he wants to help others. But he can't help being grumpy sometimes. You know… because he's a bear." she explained.

"Okay. So the bear is grumpy all the time, but he's the police in the forrest and all the other animals go to him for help. So when a bad animal tried to hurt someone, the bear attacks them!" Emma said happily.

"Yes!" Norma said.

 _'_ _Alex is going to kill me if this ever really gets published._ ' Norma thought happily.

~ "Good news." Alex sighed when Norma met him outside the court room. She had been keeping an eye on Emma while waiting for the verdict to come back. The little girl seemed perfectly content to play alone. Unlike Dylan and Norman, Emma didn't scream or need constant attention to be pacified. She had done very well when she spoke to the judge. Norma Romero had acted as child advocate in light of the mess left from Sybil passing away. The Social Services department wasn't even taking calls right now.

It felt good for Norma to be there for a child in a way that no one was ever there for her growing up. Not that Emma really needed much help. The little girl telling the judge very plainly she wanted to live with her dad. That they were working on a book together. Twenty minutes later and Emma was elaborating on a grumpy bear who was the sheriff in the forest. The family court judge glancing at Mrs. Romero knowingly.

When Sheriff Romero emerged from family court, Norma quickly went to meet him. She didn't want the little girl to overhear.

"Father got full custody." Alex said wearily. Norma nodded in relief.

"That is good news." she agreed.

The Sheriff and his wife watched Emma a few feet away playing with a coloring book and chatting animatedly to herself. Norma didn't want her husband to listen too closely, just her luck, Romero didn't miss anything.

"All you do is annoy me, Simon the Fox." Emma said in a deep voice. "I've got lots of other animals to look after, more than any other bear, and you annoy me the most. Yes, I am the law in the forest, I can find little squirrels without your assistance."

Alex turned to Norma for an explanation.

"Kids!" Norma said with a smile. "Who know where she gets that from. Too much TV."

Alex looked suspiciously back at her and soon lost interest in the games of children.  
"Thank you for coming to look after her." he told his wife. "Social Services is a mess right now. That idiot Eric Rhodes took the week off for his birthday. I don't know how this county is going to survive without Sybil."

Norma glanced over at Emma.

"That's a good question, Sheriff." she agreed.

"Well, we should bring Emma to her dad now. I think they're wrapping things up in there." he said.

"We should talk after we get home Sheriff." Norma said.

Alex looked a little concerned, but saw that there was too many people in the hallway around family court.  
"Yes, Mrs. Romero." he said professionally and Norma waved to Emma to come and join them. The little girl quietly collecting her things and pulling her oxygen tank with her.  
"I like the bear police man, Mrs. Romero." Emma said happily. "He's a grumpy bear, but he looks after everyone. I like him a lot."

"I don't now what she's talking about." Norma said innocently when Alex gave her a curious look.

~ "So tell me what's going on Mrs. Romero." the Sheriff said when they were home again. Norma had put Charlotte down for a nap and, as was the usual, they had locked the boys outside until dinner time.

"I've been doing some thinking." Norma confessed. Alex was settled on the couch and Norma was perched on his lap. Her legs dangling lazily over his knees.

"About?" Alex asked.

"I was… well since we are going to keep the trust fund for the kids. I don't really have to work anymore. Which is good." Norma said quickly. "I can take care of you and the children full time."

"You make it sound like we need a lot of work." Alex laughed but Norma didn't.

"We're not that bad." he said.  
"Really? You want to have this discussion right now, Sheriff?"

"No, Mrs. Romero." he admitted. "Go on."

"Well, I was thinking." Norma shrugged. "Maybe I could… well… maybe, go back to school?"

Alex looked at her curiously.

"I barely finished high school. I know it will be hard and it will take a lot of time, but I was thinking of going back to school. Of getting a degree that would let me do what Sybil did. I think I would enjoy that. I think I'd be good at it." she confessed.

Her husband looked surprised at this new revelation. His brows going up and his expression was expectant. Like he was waiting for the punchline of a joke.

Norma was sure Alex would say it wasn't a good idea. Charlotte was barely six months old now. The boys were a handful and chaos was swirling around them at all times. He wouldn't be wrong to object to her leaving the baby and in daycare in favor of attending classes with students ten years younger than her. It was hardly an ideal time and she hadn't been in school since before Dylan was born.

"I think it's a great idea." Alex said honestly.

"Really?" Norma asked. "Because you know that will mean Charlotte will have to go into daycare. At least for a few hours a day. That I won't be able to take care of you guys like I do now. That I'll be really stressed out all the time and that I might not even be able to do this. It's going to be a lot of hard work."

"You're not afraid of hard work, Norma." Alex told her. "You're not afraid of anything."

She looked at him as though he'd just dropped from heaven.  
"How did I get so lucky to have you?" she whispered.

"You haven't gotten lucky yet, Mrs. Romero." he whispered back. His lips ticketing her ear and she started to giggle.

~ Sheriff Romero found Mayor Helden having lunch at the local cafe near the government building. George looked up at Alex in surprise to see him at the trendy vegan/gluten free eatery. It was the same place Rebecca Hamilton frequented for all things kale and organic.

Romero sat down next to Helden and opened the to go box with a brisket sandwich, extra onions and pickles. It looked horrible next to George's salmon salad.

"What brings you by, Sheriff?" George asked. "I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to tell you about the motel and house. Keith Summers took me by surprise. I know I should have said something."

"Are you still in love with my wife, Mayor?" Romero asked effortlessly.

George's face flushed slightly. Alex could read people easily and could see that Mayor Helden was embarrassed to be called out on something they both knew to be true.  
"Yes." George said with rare conviction.

"Well it's never going to happen." Alex said.

"Maybe Norma should tell me that." George said.  
"I'm telling you that. Stay away from my wife and we will have a good relationship, Mayor Helden." Romero said. He closed the lid on his disgusting sandwich before standing up.

"I believe we understand each other." Romero said and left the cafe.

 **Sorry about the late post. It was date night. Hubby and I went to see "The Magnificent Seven". It was pretty good! I love Chris Pratt!**


	150. Chapter 150

150.

~ "Alex, if Billy Westwood has been adopted out of state, if his identity has been concealed, I can't find him." Chuck said.

"There has to be something, Chuck." Romero sighed into his office phone.

"Alex, Sybil altered all off Billy's records. Including his school and medical files before she took him. We don't have his finger prints or even his blood type to work with. Now, I've searched recent adoptions for a child around Billy's age, but it's entirely possible that his new parents were given a birth certificate. It's what I would do if I wanted to hide a child." Chuck said.

Alex was about to snap at his long time friend but something made him pause. It was a feeling he couldn't put a name to.

"We had to try." he finally said.

"Look, I'm sure wherever Billy is now, he's safe and happy." she told him. "I'll keep looking on my end, but we can now work on the theory that he's still alive. Let me know if any new leads turn up on your end. I know the social services department is a mess right now."

"You have no idea." Romero grumbled.

"Well, I think Norma's gonna kick ass when she becomes a case worker. You know how tenacious she can be. She'll have child abusers running for the hills." Chuck laughed.

"She's already working on it. Mayor Helden gave her in internship in the department. She's helping to organize all the case files right now." Romero said darkly.

"George Helden?" Chuck asked. "That skinny prick who's still in love with her?"

"The very same."

"Eww."

"Tell me about it. You don't think Norma would actually fall for him again do you?" he asked.

"Oh, God no!" Chuck laughed. "She told me once the sex with him was terrible. If the sex isn't good, then the relationship is doomed."

"Not everything is about sex, Chuck."

"Sure it is. Name one thing that exists without sex." she challenged.

"I gotta go." Romero said. "I can't be talking about sex with you during office hours."

"Good call." Chuck agreed. "We can wait till you're off duty to discuss all this kinky shit."

"Bye." Romero stammered.

~ Alex was working on the latest arrest record for Jimmy Brennen. Another boy, like Keith Summers and Bob Paris, he'd grown up with. What had happened to all of them? They used to be kids together. All of them playing like Dylan and Norman all day long. Jimmy, Keith and Alex would go fishing with Bobby Paris and his dad on the weekends.

Now, their paths in life had diverged so wildly. Jimmy had been divorced twice already and had been arrested numerous times for domestic assault on different girlfriends. His young daughter Cody was usually in the center of it all. The poor kid being bounced from relatives homes all the time. She usually had a couch to sleep on and little else. Jimmy doing next to nothing to ensure his daughter's well being.

Keith Summers, if it was possible, was even worse. He couldn't seem to stop drinking and since getting his motel back, had already been arrested for drunken disorderly and aggravated assault on a guest at the motel. He was out on bond again and Romero knew it was a matter of time before he picked a fight with the wrong person and got himself killed. Sooner or later, you always meet someone who's willing to kill you rather than have you hurt them.

Then, there was Bob Paris. Not that Alex felt the slightest trace of guilt about Bob. He did what he had to do. He protected himself, his family and his town from that man and all the evil he would do as mayor. Two years after shooting him in cold blood, Alex hardly thought about Bob in the hold of 'Lucky Boy'. The fish, no doubt, had eaten him long ago.

The intercom on Romero's desk buzzed and Clarice's voice chimed in.  
"Sheriff, I have a representative from the law office of Benson and Stabler* here to see you." she said.

"Who?" Alex asked back.  
"Oh… she says her name is Allison Clark. That you would know what this was about." Clarice said.

"Oh. Send… send her in." Alex said with a slight stutter. He felt his face flush at the idea his biological father had the same stutter.

He stood and opened his office door just in time to let Allison Clark Dyson inside.

"Hello… again." Alex said nervously and waived to a nearby chair. "It's nice to see you."

Allison took a seat opposite her wayward son, smoothed down her skirt and crossed her ankles. Her posture rigid and Romero felt slightly out of place next to her, even in his own office.

Allison had such a regal presence about her. Her clothing, the way she carried herself, it made Alex look more like a caveman. He tried to remind himself they were more casual here in White Pine Bay, but still sat a little straiter when face to face with her.

"You're a long way from home." he said and tried to smile. "Can I get you anything? Coffee or water?"

"No, Alex. No, thank you." Allison said and smoothed out her skirt again. She looked around his office, took in the deer head on the wall, the degree he'd finally earned last year through correspondence and training. The picture of himself with Tom on the boat, his City Hall wedding picture with Norma, his recent picture of Dylan and Norman holding Charlotte. His daughter smiling for the first time ever. Just in time for Norma to snap the picture of the boys holding their little sister. Norman in particular looking happy to be holding Charlotte. The two dogs, apart of the family to, keeping a close watch over the baby. Ever protective of the youngest member of the family.

"This is your office?" Allison asked after she looked around.  
"The Sheriff's office. Yes." Alex told her.

"It's very nice." Allison said honestly. "You were elected, Sheriff. You said you were the youngest elected Sheriff in the town's history."

"I was." Alex nodded.  
"Is that your dad? I mean the man who adopted you?" Allison asked and nodded at the picture of Alex and Tom on the boat. Alex was holding up a large trout and Tom was smiling proudly.  
"No." Romero told her. "No, I don't have any pictures of my adoptive parents here."

"John and Theresa Romero." Allison said. "I did some research on them."

Alex wasn't sure if he should be angry or not. He was angry to have his parents names spoke out loud. No one used his father's first name. It was always "Old Bear" in this town.  
"Well, that is your job." he said at last.

"I remember him. Sheriff John Romero." Allison said.

Alex said nothing.

"I wish that they had a happier ending. It must have been so hard on you." she said.  
"I made it through." he said dryly.  
"But they gave you a home. A stable life?" she asked.

"Why don't we talk about something else?" Alex said. He wasn't in the mood to discuss his childhood. Ever.

"Why did you come to see me?" he asked instead. "Last time we spoke, you said you didn't want your husband to know about me. That you were glad I was alive, but we both had our own lives."

"I was wrong to say that." Allison admitted. "It was rude. I have the habit of pushing people away. I don't know why. I've always been like that. It's like I have fangs or something."

Alex almost smiled. Almost.  
"I've been thinking a lot about you lately. I researched all I could about you. I read about you in the town's paper. How you rescued that woman and her two children from a submerged car a few years ago. That was very brave. You swam into the bay and got her two kids out, made sure rescue workers could get her out and she lived. No wonder you were elected Sheriff." she said with a slight smile.  
"I married her." Alex said suddenly. "The woman from that accident. I married her."

"You did?" Allison laughed. Romero pulled the City Hall wedding picture from his desk and showed it to his mother.

"Oh, she's beautiful." Allison said with a slight smile.  
"Norma. Her two boys, well **our** two boys now, Dylan and Norman." he explained.

"Norma and Norman?" Allison questioned.

"Yeah."

"It's unusual."

"Tell me about it." Alex agreed.

"I read about how you got shot." Allison said worriedly.

"Yes. Tom Wilson," Alex nodded to the picture of himself on the boat with Tom again. "He was killed. It was just a through and through with me."

"You were still shot." Allison said sadly. Her eyes big with concern. "You could be dead right now. Was there any nerve damage? Did you have to stay in the hospital?"

Romero wanted to laugh at her worrying over him.

"No, I was fine." he said.

"I'm sorry you lost your friend." Allison told him. "It must have been really hard."

"It was." Alex agreed. "Tom… he was like a father to me. Even more than my own father."

"Your father." Allison said and put back the court house picture of him and Norma on their wedding day. Her voice was sad now.  
"I guess you want to know about him." she said.

"You said you hadn't seen him in a long time. That he'd passed away a few years ago. I assumed things were not good between the two of you. I didn't want to bring up any past trauma." he said. He didn't want to say it. Put it into words that he thought he was the product of rape. His mother, so perfect and lady like, he didn't want to upset her.  
"No, you need to know." Allison said softly. "Your father-"

"It's alright. I don't want you to have to relive anything. Especially if it was violent and… I'm… I'm sure it was awful." he stuttered.

His slight speech made Allison smile softly at him.  
"He was so adorable when he was nervous. When he stuttered." she said. "Jeffery Hayden was my English teacher. I loved him." she said.

Alex looked back at her curiously.

"I was a freshman in high school, my parents were always abroad somewhere. No adult really paid attention to me. Jeffery did. We would talk for hours about poetry and literature. I was madly in love with him. The age difference, and thirty years was substantial, didn't seem to matter. We had this... affair. Very secret. When I found out I was pregnant with you, he told me he loved me and he wanted to marry me. I think, even though I was only fifteen, I believed him. Then, when I was about four months along, Jeffery just vanished." she said remorsefully.

Alex looked down at his hands.

"After I thought I'd lost you, I went back home. No one even knew I had a baby. No one even guessed." she sighed. "About a year later, he comes back to the city and I found out he was reconciled with his wife and they had a ten year old son."

"I have another brother?" Alex asked.

Allison nodded.

"A half brother named Damien Hayden. He'd be ten years older than you now. Of course, Jeffery pretended he didn't even know me. One day I cornered him in the grocery store and told him all about coming here. Of going into labor and… and of losing you." she said softly.

Her gaze was a million miles away now.  
"He said that it was for the best. That he could have gone to jail for messing with a girl as young as I was. That I need to leave him alone." Allison said.

"What happened then?" Alex asked.

"Jeffery went back to teaching school. There were rumors of course that he was seducing the students again. But I never found out of he fathered other children. Damien… is his father all over again. He teaches psychology at a second rate junior college in Florida. Or so I heard." Allison said with an eye roll.

She looked around his office again.  
"I'm very proud of the way you turned out." she whispered.

"What was my name?" Alex asked curiously. "What were you going to name me?"

Allison paused for a moment.

"In my head, over the years, I've always called you Anthony. I planned on naming you Michael Anthony Hayden if things had worked out the way I thought they would."

"Michael?" Alex asked.

"Yes, but I keep calling you Anthony to myself. Whenever I think about you." she explained. "The Saint of lost things."

Romero had to smile a little.

"Why Michael?" he asked.

"Because you always seemed like a fighter. My own little warrior." Allison laughed.

Alex didn't want to share his own Michael with her yet. His own _'Lost Thing'_ that would never come back to him as a grown man.

"So why the visit, Allison?" he asked at last.

Allison Clark Dyson looked back at him and he was once more reminded of a regal tiger. The kind Norma would be one day.

"I know I have no right. I know I just dismissed you when we met. I was in shock. I spent so long believing you were dead, I wasn't ready." she explained.

"I understand." he admitted. "But why the visit? Why not just a phone call?"

"I want to meet my granddaughter." she said with a fierce, unflinching gaze.

 **Shout out to my Team Unicorn crew who loves Law & Order SVU! **


	151. Chapter 151

151.

~ "The intercom buzzed angrily and Romero was pulled way from his discussion with Allison Clark Dyson.  
"Yes?" he snapped into the device on his desk.

"Sheriff, your wife is here." Clarice told him.

"Oh." he glanced at Allison and who looked mildly put out that they were being interrupted.

"Send her in." he said casually and stood up. It was always interesting to see two tigers meet for the first time. Romero had never been the man in the middle before and secretly looked forward to it. Not that Allison and Norma would have anything to argue about. She was still a stranger to him and his family. Genetics proved nothing.

The office door opened and Norma Romero, looking as fierce as ever let herself in. She didn't seem to notice Allison at all. The older woman sitting quietly and seeming to observe the interaction over her ' _lost thing_ ' and his wife.

"Sheriff." Norma scolded. Her expression determined as ever.  
"Mrs. Romero." Alex said with a professional nod.

"Sheriff, If I die I want you to **promise** you'll get remarried." Norma breathed hurriedly.  
"What?"

"If I die you need to promise me that you'll get remarried." Norma insisted plainly.

"What's going on? Why are you bringing this up?" he asked.

"I was going over some of the overflow cases and there is this widower, fairly young, who lost his wife from carbon monoxide poisoning last year." Norma said quickly. "The whole house was filled with it when he came home and she had died in her sleep."

"Yes, I remember." Alex nodded. "It was very sad."

"The children lived but his wife died. Since she died, that poor man has just lost his will to live. Alex, he's a mess. I can't go into detail about it, but I need you to promise me you'll remarry if I die. I don't want you to end up like that." she sighed. Her sweet face already lined with manic worry.

"Norma."

"Alex, I want you to marry a nice lady who will take care of you and the kids." she insisted.

"Norma, you're not going to die of carbon monoxide poisoning." Alex sighed.

"You don't know that." Norma huffed.

"Yes, I do. It was an old house and had faulty heating."

"We live in an old house."

"Norma, I don't like talking like this. You're not going to die and I'm not going to remarry." he insisted.

"Sheriff!" Norma gasped in horror.  
"Yes, Mrs. Romero?" he sighed wearily.

"You're going to marry a nice lady who will do your laundry and cook for you and the kids. I don't want you living in a filthy house and the children neglected." she ordered.

Alex didn't argue. He knew how to pick his battles.

"Fine." he agreed at last.

She was about to look pleased with herself when he had to tease the tiger.

"So, I should just pick out any girl?" he asked sarcastically.

"No, I'll make a list." Norma told him. Her hands smoothing down his shirt so he would look presentable. "You've been eating those brisket sandwiches at the deli again, haven't you?"

"No." he lied.

"Sheriff you have a stain in your shirt." she pointed out. "Plus I found the receipt from that place in your pocket last week."

"It's not that often." he swore.  
"We talked about this. We're eating healthy." she said. "You're not allowed to die until Charlotte gets married."

"I thought I could die when she graduates from college."

"I thought about it, and I realized you still have to give her away at her wedding." Norma told him.

Alex started to roll his eyes.

"Sheriff, you'll look so handsome in your tux on her wedding day!" she insisted. "So we have to stay in good shape for the pictures. I want our future in-laws to look like crap next to us. It's important that we're the better looking parents."

"I'm never going to be allowed to die, am I?" he sighed.  
"I'll let you know." she said. "Now is there anything you want for dinner? It needs to be easy, I was down in the file rooms all day today and I still have to pick Charlotte up and work on my admissions essay tonight."

"We're going to have company, Mrs. Romero." Alex said and glanced at Allison.

Norma finally noticed they were not alone in the room and gaped at the lady sitting just a few feet away.

"Oh, hello." Norma said quickly. "I'm sorry, Alex I didn't know you had a visitor."

"Norma Romero, this is Allison Clark Dyson." Alex said.

He watched with real amusement as Allison finally stood up and she and Norma met eye to eye.  
"Lovely to finally meet you." Allison said with a little nod.  
"Oh." Norma said simply. "Um… Alex told me about you."

"Yes. It's an interesting situation we have right now." Allison said dryly.  
"That's putting it mildly." Norma said. "Why are you here?"

"Norma." Alex scolded.

"It's alright, Alex." Allison said. "Norma, I'm here to see my granddaughter. Alex told me about Charlotte. I wanted to meet her. She's my only grandchild and I would love it if we had the chance to bond."

"Well, technically, you have three grandchildren." Norma said cooly.  
Allison looked perplexed but unfazed.

Norma shrugged.

"Dylan and Norman." Norma explained. "Alex adopted my sons last year before Charlotte was even born. So, technically you have three grandkids already."

"Yes, but Charlotte is actually his." Allison told her stubbornly.

"I can show you the boys birth certificates if you want." Norma smiled. "Any court in the land will tell you that Alex Romero is the father of three."

"Then they would be in error, dear." Allison said. Alex could almost see the venom dripping from her mouth when she spoke.

"Ladies, why don't we all have dinner tonight?" he said stepping into the tiger's cage. "Allison, you can meet the boys, and Charlotte. Norma maybe we can go out tonight? Spare you the job of cooking."

"Alright." Norma said. She never lost eye contact with Allison. It took Alex physically moving her out of the office to get her to break the staring contest.  
"What is that woman doing here?" Norma hissed when they were out in the hallway again. Allison not able to overhear them. "After she called you an 'it' and said she didn't want her fancy husband to even know about you."

"She… well, she changed her mind, Norma." Alex insisted. "Lets give her a chance."

"That woman is a cold blooded vampire and you know it." Norma huffed.  
"Yeah, I like her a lot, she reminds me of you."

"Alex, I'm going to start poisoning your food if you say that to me again."

"Don't make threats in public to kill the Sheriff, Mrs. Romero." he said. "Wait till we're at home to say you'll to kill me."

"Fine." she sighed.

"Now, go pick up Charlotte. We're all going out tonight." he said with a teasing smile.

~ Norma was always a very guarded person. She was inherently distrustful of others around her to the point she never trusted anyone. That tension had eased when she had met Alex and Sybil. She had to trust them. Trust that they would be there for her. But it was hard for her to break down the walls she'd spent years constructing.

"Alex says you're a law librarian." Norma said conversationally.

It was a nice bistro that Alex had picked out for them. Quite and friendly to a family with small children. Norma was feeding Charlotte strained carrots, the baby already wanting more solid foods these days.

"He's correct." Allison said. "What is it you do, Norma?"

Norma felt her ire rise and gave her husband a look. He shook his head and she put on her fake smile.  
"Aside from being a full-time wife and mother of three?" she said with a fake laugh. "I'm going back to school."

"For your GED?" Allison asked with a sympathetic look.

Norma could feel her blood boil and Alex looked uncomfortable. She glanced at Dylan and Norman. The boys had taken a cue from Alex and had remained silent and observant during this turf war.

"No, Allison." Norma explained carefully.

"Norma is going back to school to finish her degree." Alex explained at last.

Norma was grateful Alex had made it seem that his wife had only left college a few years ago. Not that she was beginning higher education.

"Oh, I see. That will be good. A degree is so helpful in getting a better job. Always nice to have another income coming in. I know it must be hard to support a family all on your own." Allison said.

Before Norma could snap back, Alex came to her rescue.  
"Actually, I'm not looking forward to my wife working. I like having her at home. It's not easy being married to a Sheriff. There is always some calamity I need her help with. Just a few weeks ago, I had to testify in a custody hearing and I needed Norma to act as a child advocate for the minor involved. It's very handy to have her around." he smiled at her.

Norma felt her face flush. If she didn't love her husband so much, she would maul this ' _other woman_ ' to death right now.  
"So, I decided to get a degree that lets me work in social services. Our mutual friend, Sybil Lawson, had passed away and her entire department is a mess. The mayor is allowing me to intern in the department as apart of my acceptance into a correspondence course. They want to fast track my degree as much as possible." Norma said breezily.

"Wow." Allison said. "The mayor must have great faith in you. The mayor, George Helden, you were going to marry him a while back isn't that right?"

Norma glance back at Allison in shock.  
"How did you know that?" she accused.

"I'm a researcher, dear. It's what I do." she shrugged.

"George and I reminded friends after the break up." she nodded to her husband. "Alex works with him all the time."

"Small town." Alex agreed.  
"Must be." Allison said. "And Sybil Lawson. It's odd you remained so close to her. I mean, after what she did."

Allison's words were chilly and Norma almost shuddered.  
"Allison, we don't need to discuss that right now." Alex said. "Let's have a nice dinner."

"Good idea." Allison said. "I'm so glad I'll be staying at your house tonight. Give me a chance to get to know all of you better."

Norma's head snapped up in alarm. Alex looked at her and then away. He hadn't mentioned Allison would be staying with them.

~ Alex drove Allison home in his SUV and Norma followed in the car with the children. She couldn't shake this feeling that the next few days were going to be difficult.

"Who is that lady, Mom?" Norman asked.  
"She used to know Sybil." Norma told him.

"Why don't you like her?" Dylan asked.

"I never said I didn't like her." Norma huffed.

"But you don't like her." Dylan said.

"I don't like a lot of people. So what?" Norma said crankily.

~ It was awkward having Allison so close by in Norma's home. Her home was her safe place. A place where she and the people she loved most could be themselves. Now, Norma noticed the out of date wood paneling Alex had been meaning to replace for the past two years. She saw the cluttered kitchen table and the dirty clothes scattered on the sofa.  
"Sorry about the mess." Norma said. She handed the baby to Alex and started picking up.  
"It's not a problem, Norma." Allison said. "I'm a mother to. They can run you ragged at this age."

"Were Mike and Gillian a handful?" Alex asked.

"No. Perfectly behaved." Allison said curtly.

"Well, boys, why don't you take your baths?" Norma nodded to Dylan and Alex.

"Allison, we have a guest room for you." Alex added. "Norma sometimes uses it for a sewing room."

"I wish I had time for hobbies." Allison said with a sly smile.

"Well, she's very good at it. You wouldn't believe how easily two boys can tear up their clothes." Alex told her.

Norma watched him hand Charlotte over to this strange woman and the baby look back at her with big observant eyes.

"I thought she would have had your eyes, Alex." Allison said at last.

"No, the boys and Charlotte all have Norma's eyes." Alex said proudly. "They got lucky."

"Yes." Allison agreed. A real smile on her face at last.

~ Alex and Norma never saw. Never knew that sometime in the night Allison Clark Dyson left the little guest room. Never heard her quietly creeping into their bedroom, watching the sleeping couple and the sleeping baby in the crib next to their bed.

It was Norman who found Allison after she had observed her ' _lost thing_ ' and his wife soundly asleep. It was Norman who had been sneaking the dogs out of his bedroom before his mother caught him. The two German Shepards used to sneaking about anyway.

"What are you doing up?" Allison asked in a whisper.  
"Nothing." Norman said politely. "Couldn't sleep."

"Let me put you back to bed." she said.

The older lady took his hand and guided him back to his room.

Norman had a nice room. He'd always felt safe here. He had a collection of very nice stuffed animals that Dylan said he was too old for. But he needed his collection around him. Needed them in his room for protection. Protection from bad things he couldn't put a name to.

Allison tucked him into bed and then looked over him appraisingly.

"Norman, do you want to know a secret?" she asked.


	152. Chapter 152

152.

~ "I was thinking we should take some time off. Just you and me. Before you go back to school." Alex said.

It was an hour or so before the boys had to be up and this early morning quite time with Alex and the baby was the best part of Norma's whole day. Charlotte was awake and in a good mood, her little feet and legs kicking as if she planed to roll over and start crawling any day now.

"No kids, no baby, no work." Alex told her. "Have a second honeymoon. Maybe we could even go to Hawaii for a week."

"Who's going to look after the boys? Not to mention the baby?" Norma asked.

"As soon as you start school, life is going to get even more hectic than it already is." Alex told her.

Charlotte rolled over and grabbed hold of Alex's shirt. A look of sheer determination was on her face. Today was the day she would finally crawl. Her parents watched her going back and forth, getting ready for take of… before settling back down. She would crawl tomorrow. There was no rush.

"It's a lovely idea, Alex." Norma admitted. "But I just don't see it happening right now. I've got my internship, I've got a ton of prep work I need to finish before I even start classes."

"Norma, we need this time off together. I've got some vacation days saved up." he said.

"Fine, we can just stay at home. Have a staycation." she offered.

"No. We need to go someplace romantic and nice." he said. "We sacrifice so much for the kids. For this town. I think we need a break."

"I'll think about it." she sighed.

"No, it's going to happen." he said.

"Well, what are we going to do on this vacation that we can't do at home?"

"Are you kidding?" he laughed. "We can be as loud as we want for as long as we want. Not worry about the boys overhearing us and being traumatized."

Norma rolled her eyes.  
"We can walk around naked and have sex in the kitchen." he teased.  
"Alex!" she laughed.

"I'm being completely serious. Two weeks. That's all I'm asking. You'll be in four years of work study and we might not get another chance." he said.

"Are you sure you're okay with me going back to school? I haven't been in school in almost a decade. I'll look like everyone's mother." she said worriedly. "I also wasn't that great of a student when I was in high school. I barely graduated. I can see why Allison thought I was getting a GED." Norma said. Her face becoming somber.  
"Allison was wrong to say that. She's a little stuck up. I should have warned you." Alex admitted.

"When is she going home?" Norma whispered.

Charlotte was trying yet again to crawl, before deciding she didn't have the guts.

"She wanted to spend some time with me. Get to know me and our family." Alex said. "She thought she lost me, remember?"

"I know and I feel badly for her. She's just so…" Norma searched for the right word, but couldn't find it.  
"Uptight?" Alex offered.

"Bitchy." Norma countered.

Her husband laughed.

"I like her." he said.

"I know you do." she admitted. "I guess I'm just not used to having to share your its another woman. I'm very possessive."

"It's pretty sexy." he told her.

"I'm not falling for that, Sheriff." Norma said and picked Charlotte up to put her back in her crib. The baby was used to having a brief nap before her horrible brothers got up. Norma laid her daughter down and pulled a quilt over her. Her hands running over the fabric of one of Alex's old shirts that helped to make up the pattern of little squares.

She watched Charlotte's eyes droop a little and decided she was tired enough to take a nap. She went back to bed next to Alex to enjoy an hour or so of bliss before starting the day.

Her husband wasted no time in pulling her to him.

"Sheriff!" Norma giggled when he rolled her over. His own body pinning her down. "You have to be at work in an hour!"

"Relax, Mrs. Romero." He teased. "As long as my wife down't find out about us, we're fine."

"Alex!" Norma laughed.

They both glanced at Charlotte and waited for her to wake up from the noise.

"She's out." Alex whispered. "We'll be fine."

"You're terrible!" Norma whispered in his ear but couldn't stop kissing his neck.

"No, I'm not." he said greedily moving his hands up her night gown.

"Alex, we don't have time to start this." Norma whispered but she felt herself getting excited at the feel of his hands parting her legs.

"It's why we need a vacation." he whispered. "We can be Norma and Alex, not mom and dad or Sheriff and Mrs. Romero."

He kissed her just as sweetly and as innocently as if they were children themselves.

"Alright." she sighed.

"So, vacation?" he asked.  
"Yes."

"Two weeks?"

"Alex, thats a long time to be away from the kids." she sighed.  
"It'll be fun." he whispered. His lips going back to her hers.

"You just want to get laid, Sheriff." Norma giggled.

"We can get a little bungalow and not wear clothes the whole time." he offered. He looked down at her adoringly and she felt flushed with embarrassment.

"Alex!" she scolded. Her legs cradling his body as he started to kiss her again. His lips soft, yet demanding and she found she couldn't refuse him.

Her breathing was coming hard as his lips took possession of hers. His body demanding her to respond. Norma felt that delightful sense of being too warm again. Her skin flushed and hot. Her husband's body weight feeling perfect over hers as he moved in rhythm with her.

She almost didn't hear their bedroom door open and she looked away just in time to see Allison staring coldly at them. Her dark eyes seemed to scorn what they were doing. Or about to do.

Norma jumped and Alex, thinking the boys had walked in on them moved off of her.  
"Allison?" he questioned as the older woman, a look of judgment on her face, silently turned and left the room. Neglecting to close the door behind her.

~ "Look, maybe next time, just knock." Alex was telling Allison as Norma packed the boy's lunches for school. "I mean, we don't even allow the boys in our room."

"I'm sorry about that." Allison said kindly. "I wasn't sure what time the boys needed to be up and dressed for school. My kids are always awake at 6 for things like track and softball. I have to keep reminding myself that you are much more relaxed when it comes to involving your children in activities."

Norma felt this last part was directed at her, but Alex didn't seem to notice.  
"Allison, no more coming into our room." Alex said.

"I promise." she said. "I hadn't realized you two were trying for another baby so soon after Charlotte was born. With her in the room; not three feet away."

Allison smiled, but Norma felt a chill run down her back.

"We're… no, we're not trying for another baby." Alex corrected her. his slight stutter was one of embarrassment. Maybe he also sensed her judgement and didn't like it. Norma scowled at the other woman.

"Charlotte sleeps in the room with us." Alex said. "Till we decide she's ready to sleep in her own room."

"Hopefully that will be soon. You don't want your grown child sleeping in the same bed as her parents. It will warp her. Make her sexually confused." Allison said.

Norma was about to argue when Alex stepped in.  
"My wife knows what she's doing with the kids. There is no one I trust more to take care of my daughter and my sons." he said.

Norma could tell that Allison was itching to say ' _Norma's sons_ ', but the older woman remained silent.

"If Norma feels the baby needs to stay with us for a few more months, that that's how it is." Alex finished.  
Norma pretended she didn't care that she had won this round.  
"Of, course, you're right." Allison said. "Every mother knows what's best for her children. I know what's best for my kids and Norma knows what's best for hers."

She looked up proudly at Alex and put an arm around his waist.  
"I know what's best for **all** my children." she said softly. So softly Norma almost didn't hear.

Alex seemed touched by this and carefully hugged her back.  
"Thank you." he said at last.

He turned to Norma, satisfied that the situation had been resolved.

~ Norma hadn't counted on having to be alone with Allison Clark Dyson after her husband left for work and the boys were at school. She wasn't used to feeling so awkward in her own home while she did laundry and light housework. She felt slightly judged by her guest's presence and couldn't shake the need for this woman to leave.

"I feel like we've gotten off on the wrong foot, Norma." Allison said. "I'm afraid this situation isn't something one prepares for."

Norma had been pulling the dog's rubber ball out from under the couch when Allison approached her.

"No, I guess it isn't." Norma agreed.  
"Finding out that he was alive, that he was grown and had his own family." Allison said. "I'm still in shock."

Norma tossed Rocky's ball out the back door, the large dog thinking his mistress wanted to play went bounding after it.

"When Sybil told me what she had done," Norma confessed. "I was horrified. How anyone could do such a thing to a mother. Lie to her, tell her that her baby was dead. I can't think of anything more cruel."

"In a strange way, I was relived." Allison sighed. "I could be a teenager again. I was free. It was all just a bad dream. I could convince myself it never happened."

The older woman looked sad for a moment, but she didn't shed a tear for her long forgotten sorrow.

"Things are not always what they seem, Norma." she said at last. "I've built this wall around my heart after what happened. I was so hurt at the thought of losing my baby. Being rejected by my lover. As a result, I've kept myself from really loving my husband or even my children. I've made myself as cold and unfeeling as I can. I hurt people because of it sometimes."

Norma shifted slightly.

"We've all been there." she said at last. "I… I've always been a very angry person. I kept everyone at arms length. I thought people in general were a disappointment. That they would only hurt you if given enough time."

"What changed?" Allison asked.  
Norma shrugged.

"Alex." she said with a smile. "He… I wasn't so angry and mistrustful of people when I was around him. I was able to be happier. I was able to be a better person, a better mother… a better wife."

She shook her head and shuddered.

"I hate to think what our lives would be like without him. If I hadn't found myself in White Pine Bay. That night we first met. If he hadn't been there for me. Gone above and beyond for us. He really made me trust him. Love him." she said.

"Yes, you were very fortunate to find him. Imagine what your life would be like if my son hadn't killed your husband for you." Allison said smoothly.

Her tone was like a knife ready to stab Norma in the heart.


	153. Chapter 153

153.

~ Alex felt happy coming home that night. He sensed that all was right in his world and that he could finally find that ever elusive sense of peace. Growing up, he had always been envious of the other kids who had a good relationship with their parents. Where they had parents who protected them and taught them right from wrong, Alex always felt he had been cast out and forced to learn to be on his own. He had felt a certain void had been filled with his relationship with Sybil. Sort of a sergeancy when his mom had gotten so sick. But Sybil was Sybil. She wasn't the mothering type and never would have been. Tom had helped fill in for the loss of a father figure over the years. But, like Sybil, it wasn't the same.

Norma, however, was born to be a mother. Maybe that was what he found so appealing about her. Her instinctive need to nurture things and care for her sons. That, and her take no shit attitude. Alex was never worried about the boys or Charlotte around her. If his wife had told him Charlotte had to see a voodoo witch doctor to cure a cold, he would trust her completely to do what was best for their daughter.

Charlotte and the boys would never know the lonely childhood he had experienced. They would never know the abuse and neglect Norma had endured. Now, if anything, Alex was concerned the kids might be too spoiled by their mother.

How lucky they were to have an overprotective parent.

Now, Allison was in their lives. If things worked out with Allison, if she came up to White Pine Bay more often, he could finally have a real family. The kids would have a grandmother. Someone who could tell them stories and share things with. Alex could meet his half siblings Mark and Gillian if everything worked out. Maybe even talk to Damien, his biological father's son one day. New worlds were opening up for him. Worlds that meant he had a real family.

From a traffic stop in the rain to a real family. What a funny world it could be sometimes.

"Alex." Norma breathed when he walked into the living room. She had a worried look on her face but everything seemed normal.

Allison was setting the table for dinner, the boys were clearing away their mess from the living room. Dinner smelled amazing.

"What are you making?" Romero asked shedding off Tom's leather jacket. He wasn't sure why, but he kept wearing the former Sheriff's jacket when the weather turned cold. No one mentioned it if they even noticed. Just like no one mentioned the belt buckle he wore everyday. He liked wearing Tom's old things. Like apart of him couldn't die if Alex wore these talismans.

"Chicken." Allison said happily. "Cheese, bell peppers and my own recipe for flavorings. Mike and Gillian love it."

"You cooked, Allison?" Alex asked as Norma moved closer to him.  
"Alex, will you help me put the baby down?" Norma asked quickly.

He looked at Norma curiously. His senses telling him something was wrong.

"Alright." he said and followed his wife to their room.  
"Alex, that woman knows you killed Sam." Norma whispered once they were alone.

Alex made sure the door was closed tightly, he listened for the sounds of someone outside their room. The old wooden floors always giving off a creek. He heard nothing but the boys and Allison talking in the living room.

"Norma, everyone knows I shot and killed Sam. It was in the papers. She does research for a law office. Of course she's going to find this out. She read about my saving you from the bay." he said calmly.

Norma shook her head and placed Charlotte in her crib.

"No." she said worriedly. "No, she knows that you shot Sam with **malice**. That you did it to free me from him. It's like she knew. She knew things she couldn't have gotten from the paper."

"Norma," he said calmly. "Listen, I shot your ex-husband. He was abusing you, he was about to kill you. I was cleared in the matter by the state's internal investigation office. I later married you. To an outsider, who doesn't know all the details, it looks suspicious. I can see that. But I don't think Allison would do anything to hurt us. She's my mother."

"Alex." Norma breathed. "We don't really know this woman. I know she gave birth to you, but what do we really know about her?"

"That she gave birth to me." he snapped in annoyance. "That she was lied to for over thirty years about her baby being dead. That, naturally she tried to learn as much as she could about me. She's just curious. Imagine if you were in her situation. If you never knew Dylan except as a grown man. Wouldn't you want to know everything about him?"

"Alex, what if she found out things about us. Things no one else knows. Things we worked hard to keep hidden." she whispered.

"Caleb." Alex nodded.  
"Caleb." Norma cried softly. "It's easy enough to find these things out. Especially for someone like her. People in this town don't know Caleb is my brother. That my parents were the ones who killed those people in the Summer's house. They still think I was taken in some kind of retaliation for you arresting them. That they knew we were close and wanted to hurt you. What if she finds out everything about us? She could spread it all over town and humiliate you."

His lovely wife's face pulled into an ugly frown as she tried not to cry. Charlotte, sensing her mother's distress started to cry from her crib.

"Norma, I don't think she would do that. Do you really see her as a gossip?" Alex asked gently. He stepped closer to her, his hands cupping her face.  
"We still don't know who this woman is. I mean, she hasn't even told her husband about you. Where does he think she is right now? What about her other children?" she cried softly.

"Norma, it's going to be okay." he promised with a smile.

His wife didn't look convinced.

"By the way, I've booked us a trip to Hawaii. We leave in three months. We're going to have to find a decent sitter who can watch the kids for that long. I was planning on asking Washington if he wouldn't mind. You know his wife loves Charlotte." he said hopefully.

"Alex." Norma sighed. "I'm really worried about Allison."

"Norma, she's my mother!" he barked. His voice feeling sharper and angrier that he had ever experienced before. Romero was a soft spoken person. Always had been. He was the type of man who's bite was much worse than his bark.

Norma's' eyes grew large at his sudden change in attitude.

"She's my mother. I want a relationship with her. This isn't an easy situation, but we're going to make it work." he said calmly.

Her lips parted slightly, but she didn't say anything.

He leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"Now, lets go have dinner like a real family." he said.

 **Sorry for the short post. Hell of a crappy day. It seems my Edward Jones people were supposed to send money to my checking account and it turns out they sent it to someone else's account my mistake. So, I'm over here, I got shit I have to pay for, and they tell me they can't get my money out of this other person's account because when they dude saw the bank error in his favor, he withdrew it. Now it's gone and they can't get it back.**

 **So, you know what they told me, after they fucked up? I need to handle it myself because they can't do anything.**

 **We had set up an automatic savings plan with them to take 5% out my husbands paycheck every month and send the rest to our checking. They directly deposited my husband's entire paycheck into the EJ account without our permission and then they told us if we needed money, we should tell them and they can send it to our checking account.**

 **Or, someone's account apparently. That was not the plan. It just wasn't.**

 **Isn't that a pimp or something? We have to ask for our money? What a fucked up scam.**

 **So I thought I would drink a little. Or a lot. About three mixed drinks I knocked back like water and I was feeling pretty good.**


	154. Chapter 154

154.

~ Just another day as Sheriff of White Pine Bay.

"Did Cody see it?" Romero asked Jimmy's sister Donna. He was in the interrogation with the woman who was a far cry from the girl she had been in high school. Donna Brennen had been attractive enough when she was a teenager. She had a nice body and dressed to show it off. But years of living a hard life of alcoholism, troubled relationships and meth use had sawed away any hint of attractiveness she had once had. She had gained so much weight that she was unrecognizable. Her skin was weathered from all the poisons she put in her body, and her hair was ratted and dyed a cheap, vulgar blond.

Alex had to keep his hand over his nose to block out the stench of her rotting teeth.

Donna rolled her eyes and shook her head bitterly.  
"I don't know. Who knows with that kid anymore? She's always hiding in places. Running off. Always acting up, shooting her mouth off." she explained.

"She's what, seven years old? Isn't that what seven year old's do?" he asked.

"How the hell would you know, **Sheriff**?" Donna huffed. "Just cuz you adopted some widow's kids makes you the expert?"

Alex glanced sadly over Donna Brennen. It was hard to see the girl she had been now. The last time he had talked to her was when he had arrested her boyfriend two years ago for beating her. Something Donna denied he ever did, but couldn't explain how she got the bruises on her face.

"Did that little girl see your brother Jimmy shoot your boyfriend, Donna?" Alex asked at last.  
"I don't know, Alex." she said indifferently. "I don't even remember what happened."

Alex felt frustration rise up inside him as Donna started to cry. It wasn't really a cry. Something someone does when they're sad or upset. Donna Brennen cried now because she was coming off of the drugs. Her emotions becoming a tornado of chaos that had no merit in reality.  
"I need to talk to Frank." she sobbed. "Tell him he bought the wrong hair dryer. We have to take it back."

"Donna, Frank's dead." Alex said. It was the third time he had told her this. Donna Brennen seeming to shake off this news as if he were lying. As though he hadn't seen the blood and destruction in the living room.

"No. No, I need to see him." she muttered. Her body rocking back and worth in agitation.

"I'm going to have one of my deputies take you into a detox cell for the night." Alex said and stood up. He was tired of talking in circles with the poor woman.

"Where's Jimmy?" Donna asked finally before Alex could leave.  
Romero started grinding his teeth again and turned back to her.  
"Donna, you shot your brother. Remember? You shot him for killing Frank. We found his daughter, a little girl you were looking after, hiding in a closet." He said.

"No. Jimmy's still at work." Donna said stubbornly. "I need to get home. I have to go home." she started crying again. Her sobs were like a little girl crying for attention. Someone who wanted to act child like and to be treated like a child.

Romero wasn't fooled. He quickly left the sobbing woman in favor of the peace and quite of his office.

The day had been horrible. As soon as he had gotten into work that morning, he was told how Jimmy Brennan, for reasons known only to him, had got to his sister's house, and shot Frank Wilkie. Frank had died instantly from the gun shot to the chest. His blood was all over the living room of the trailer he shared with his girlfriend and her niece Cody.

Donna, not to be outdone, had gotten her own gun and shot and killed her brother. All while Cody seemed to be a witness to the massacre.

The little girl had described loud bangs that made her cry and her ears ring. That it looked like on TV when people get shot. But no one got up this time. She had scowled at Romero when the Sheriff showed up on the scene. Already, Alex could see that Cody Brennan would grow up the hard way. That her life thus far had made her too tough to be loved or nurtured by anyone.

"Social Services call back?" Romero snapped at Clarice.

"No, Sheriff." she said. "I can call again."

"Call Eric's home number. Call his mother and his girlfriend if he has one." Romero ordered. "I want to know why the entire department isn't picking up their phones."

"Yes, Sheriff." Clarice nodded.

Alex had never missed Sybil so much in his life. The old woman would have been here in a flash. She'd have smoked a cigarette outside before cracking open her file on Cody Brennan and then placed her in emergency foster care for the night.

 _'I need to call Norma. Tell her I'm going to be late._ ' he thought bitterly.

As odd as it felt. Alex grieved for the loss of Jimmy. Of the angry, rude little boy who became an angry and rude man. It wasn't all his fault though. It wasn't Donna's fault the way she was either. Their father and mother had made them this way. They had raised their children to fend for themselves. That things like food and shoes for school were a luxury. As a result, Jimmy and Donna had both grown into creatures who only looked after themselves. They only care about what was in it for them.

In a lot of ways, Jimmy and his sister had a very similar childhood to Norma. It's amazing how diverged a path can become. How Norma chose to change her course in life. It was laughable to think that Norma would become a drug addict. It wasn't too far fetched to think she would kill a man though. Alex could always see the ones who were capable of taking a life. Norma had that razor's edge in her eye. It was well hidden behind her pretty smile, her modest clothes and her well intentioned demeanor. But he could tell it was just below the surface. Sharp and ruthless.

Romero leaned back in his chair and let his thoughts play back to when he was a kid. Bob Paris, Keith Summer and Jimmy Brennan. How Bob and Jimmy were gone now and how they could never be those kids again.

Now here he was. Alex Romero. He had become the Sheriff after all. After the other boys made him be the evil Sheriff while they got to be Robin Hood and little John. No, Alex always had to be the Sheriff and never the hero. He always had to be the bad guy. He had become the thing he always hated now. He'd become the outsider. Or maybe he had just stayed the outsider. He'd never felt like he belonged. Not even with his friends.

It reminded him of something from Norma's favorite book.

 _'I was within, and without._ '

He hated that prospect. Hated that he was never truly apart of the group. The only time in his life he'd ever felt connected was when he became a cop. When Wilson took him under his wing, had faith in him.

Then, when he'd meet Norma. Things were so easy with her. No. No, they weren't. **Loving** Norma was easy. The complexities of being in love with a woman like here were never easy. But at least they weren't boring.

At least with Norma and the kids, Alex knew where he belonged. He was never an outside in his home. He was loved and cared for and needed. Hell, he wasn't allowed to die until Charlotte was married. Soon enough Norma would change her mind about that to and he'd never be allowed to die.

He stood up and decided to call Norma. He needed to tell her it was going to be a long night for him. To not worry. The hazards of marrying a Sheriff. To put dinner in the fridge for him and kiss the kids goodnight.

He felt bad about leaving Allison there and worrying about him. His natural mother not used to her lost child's demanding job.

Romero's phone rang before he had a chance to even reach for the receiver to make an outgoing call.

He sighed. It had better be that idiot Eric at Social Services.

"Romero." Alex said crankily into the phone.

"Sheriff Romero." said a bright, very corporate voice.

"Yeah." Alex said.  
"Sheriff, I'm Bill Dyson. I'm calling about my wife Allison." the voice said.

Romero froze. Allison's high powered husband. The man who didn't know about him at all. Did Allison not even tell him where she was these past few days? Was their marriage that rocky? Rocky enough that Allison might be trying to leave this man?  
"How can I help you Mr. Dyson?" he said at last. His voice on the verge of a nervous stutter.

"Sheriff, I'm here in Nevada and my wife has been missing for three days now. I have reason to believe she has gone to your town. She didn't show up to work on Monday and we can't seem to get ahold of her." Bill Dyson said.  
"Why would you think she was here?" Alex asked.

"Her employer did a reverse search on her work computer. Came up with a great deal of research about the town of White Pine Bay and… well, not to alarm you Sheriff, but a lot of in depth research about yourself." he said.

"Me?" Alex said and tried to force himself to sound carefree. Norma made it look so easy. It wasn't fair.

"She's a legal fact checker. She works in a law firm and she's very good at finding out every detail of someone's life." Bill Dyson explained. "I don't know why she would be so obsessed with you. You're not in any of her case work. When she vanished, she used her credit cards all the way to Oregon. I was wondering if she made contact."

"Um… no, I've never heard of the woman." Alex lied.

"Sheriff." Bill Dyson said coldly. "You need to be careful. My wife is unstable at times. She's normally medicated but since she's gone, I found she had left her antipsychotic medication here at home. She's been taking them since she was a teenager."

Romero felt the ice water prickling down his spine. Allison Clark Dyson was home alone with his family.

"How unstable is she, Mr. Dyson?" Romero demanded.

"Sheriff, she's spent years in a private facility after she killed her former teacher Jeffery Hayden. Her parents had money and could protect her from charges of murder." Bill Dyson said.  
"Jeffery Hayden?" Romero breathed in alarm. Allison had told him that Jeffery Hayden, his real father, had died just a few years ago of health problems. In all the excitement and newness of his relationship with Allison, he hadn't bothered to search for his real father. Allison made it sound like it would have been a painful discovery anyway.

"When did Jeffery Hayden die?" Alex asked.

"About thirty years ago. It seemed, even though she thought they were in love, he had married and had a child. That was enough to push Allison over and kill all them. Listen, Sheriff, I'm on my way there now. She has to be found before she hurts someone. When she's medicated, she can lead a normal, happy life productive life. Once she's off the medication… she a psychopath."

 **Sorry about the late post. Date night and we're getting ready for closing on the new house! We close November 11th!**


	155. Chapter 155

155.

~ "Oh, she's so **perfect**." Allison said happily holding Charlotte to her chest. Norma felt uncomfortable having Allison hold her daughter, but decided not to say anything. She didn't want to make things worse between them. Maybe Alex had been right and they just were too different. Or too similar. Either way, they didn't get along. It was a good thing Allison was leaving soon. Hopefully.

Alex had never put his foot down like he had done last night. He had made it clear he didn't want to hear about Norma's dislike of Allison. Didn't want to listen to how rudely his wife was treated or how uncomfortable she was made to feel in their home.

"The boys are still outside?" Allison asked. "They spend a lot of time out there? Do you really think that's wise?"

"Alex insists on it." Norma said effortlessly. "He's even locked them out when they're being too wild. He insists it's good for them."

"Tell me," Allison said as Norma prepared dinner and tried to ignore her house guest. "Why aren't the boys allowed in your bedroom? It seems so cruel. I mean, you don't mind the baby being in the same bed with you. I would think it's playing favorites."

Norma looked up at Allison in disbelief. Did she really think an **infant** was the same as two rambunctious boys?

"That was Alex's idea to." she said truthfully. "We need our own space that's a no kid zone."

"A little selfish, don't you think? It's not something I would do." Allison told her.

"Well, the boys aren't exactly clawing to get into our room anyway." Norma told her. "Dylan has always been independent and Norman… well he wants to follow his brother."

"I suppose it is only natural to coddle and spoil the baby more." Allison agreed. She shifted Charlotte onto her hip and looked down at the infant adoringly. "She **is** Alex's real child after all. I mean, you didn't fool around on my son, did you? Make him think she belonged to him?"

"What?" Norma gasped. "What did you say?"

Surely she had misheard.

"Nothing." Allison smiled. "I'm glad you have this little one, Norma. Glad I finally have a grandchild. You know, she's my only grandchild. Since you killed that other baby... Michael."

Her tone was sad and unfeeling.

Norma turned the stove off.  
"What did you say?" she breathed in horror.  
"Nothing." Allison said with a smile.

"No, you said I killed my son. You said his name. Why would you say such a thing?" Norma demanded hotly.

Allison was still holding Charlotte in her arms. The baby proving to be buffer between the two women.

"Well, because you did." Allison shrugged carelessly. "You know, for years I struggled with the guilt of losing my own baby. To find out he's alive. Sometimes I'm not sure if it's real."

She looked at Charlotte adoringly.

"Now, now I have my baby back." she whispered.

"Give her to me!" Norma hissed and ripped Charlotte out of Allison's grasp. "I don't care what Alex says, I want you out of my house! You've been nothing but hateful to me and my children. When Alex finds out what you said about Michael-"

"What was it like to push out my son's dead baby?" Allison asked hatefully.

Norma felt slightly faint. Her grip on Charlotte tightening. The older woman looked especially sinister.

"How did you explain to him that you killed his son?" Allison asked.

"Leave. Get out of my house." Norma shouted. Charlotte started to cry from her mother's sudden outburst. "Get out of my house now or I'll call the police. I know them all and they'll come for the Sheriff's wife."

"Yes. I am sure they will. You've had quite the colorful history with the local police." Allison huffed. "It seems not a day went by that you weren't being rescued by law enforcement, Norma. Is that how you seduced my son? Making him come to your aide all the time? So very pathetic. You seduced my son and made him kill your husband. Made him risk his own life saving your worthless skin from drowning in the bay. Oh, and lets not forget that kidnapping by the gruesome Caleb Calhoun. It's funny how the papers never thought to mention Caleb was your brother. Or how it was your parents who took you to that house. You know what I think?" Allison grinned. "I think you're just as terrible as your brother and parents. I think you helped murder people in that house."

"Leave!" Norma shouted.

"I'm not leaving this town again without my baby." Allison said coldly. "You will give him to me. **Right now**."

The older woman's voice was like a low growl and Norma could see a hateful spark light up in her eyes. If she hadn't been holding the baby, maybe she could have defended herself. When Allison grabbed ahold of the heavy sauce pan, mother's instinct took over and Norma crouched down to cover her child. She curled her body over to protect Charlotte from the blows Allison started delivering with the blunt object.

Norma regretted buying the heavy duty cookware that did such an excellent job of hurting her now.

She felt each strike that Allison delivered and the pain that reverberated through out her body. Her attacker was hitting her as hard as she could. One hit after the other on Norma's back and arms. Norma was helpless to defend herself against an attack that made Sam's beating feel like nothing. She had to shield her daughter from this. Allison would kill her baby.

When the attacker finally went for the head, Norma saw starts. An array of dark, luminous colors danced before her and she felt her world go fuzzy.  
"Finally." Allison breathed.

Norma's arms were relaxing and Charlotte, still screaming, was pulled out of her mother's arms.

Allison now holding the baby and showing all the love of a new mother.  
"It's okay, dear!" Allison cooed at the screaming infant. Norma was still sitting up and saw her daughter's face was red from crying.  
Allison looked back at her victim in disgust.

"I don't know why you had to make things so difficult. You deserved this. You're just filthy trailer trash and my son can do better." she said.

Norma couldn't understand what she was saying. Her ear was bleeding and she felt a tooth had been knocked loose.

"No." she said at last. "You can't do this."

"You tried to take my child!" Allison shouted. "I'm taking him back!"

"No!" Norma cried. She tried to stand up, but Allison kicked her ruthlessly in the chest. Norma fell backwards. All she could comprehend was her baby crying, the pain in her broken body and the fact that her vision was failing.

"Oh! You're so disgusting! You deserved this! I want you to just die and leave us in peace." Allison hissed. "Everyone will be so happy when you're dead!"

Norma could feel her world fading out.

 _'Oh, God! Am I dying?'_ she thought wildly. ' _No, I can't die. I can't! I have the boys who need me. My daughter! Alex! No, Please, I can't die! Not now and not like this! Norman! Dylan… Charlotte, pease! I can't leave them! Alex can't raise them alone!"_

Her vision went black and she was engulfed into darkness. She fell into a beautiful well. A deep ocean where there was no pain. A place where there was nothing.

Allison stood over Norma's body and gave it another disgusted look. Charlotte was still crying but she didn't seem to notice when she spoke to Norma one last time.

"I'm taking my child home. Jeffery will see it was all real. That we were going to have a baby. That I didn't make it up. That I'm not crazy. He'll love me again, Norma. You'll see. I won't let you stop me from getting my baby back to his father. We're going to be a family. Just like I always wanted us to be."


	156. Chapter 156

156.

~ "Sheriff!" Washington barged into Romero's office. His expression hurried and concerned.

"Sheriff, we just got a call in. 911 just dispatched and ambulance to your house on Rural Road." Washington said as calmly as he could.

"Mr. Dyson." Romero said darkly into the phone. "I suggest you come to White Pine Bay as fast as you can."

Before Allison's husband could answer, Romero hung up the phone and followed Washington out the door into the waiting SUV.

"Who was it in need of an ambulance?" Alex said. "Did they say if it was a woman or a child?"

"It was a child that called it in apparently." Washington said. "I don't know anything else."

With full lights and sirens, Washington ran red lights and maneuvered around traffic. Never in his life had it taken Alex so long to get home. Or maybe it just felt that way. A sudden rainstorm had stirred up and pounded down on them mercilessly. The roads becoming slick and hard to maneuver.

"Just get us there, deputy." the Sheriff growled when the SUV almost skidded off the road.

"I doubt Norma wants you to get there dead, Sheriff." Washington said calmly.

Finally, mercifully, Alex saw the flashing lights of two ambulances on the front lawn of the farm house.

"Sheriff, wait!" Washington shouted when Alex bailed out of the SUV.

"Norma!" Romero called.

He sprinted past the ambulances, seeing they were both empty and into the house.

What he saw brought back awful memories of finding his mother on that sunny Sunday morning. Paramedics were around Norma's body, one of them inserting a breathing tube down her throat.  
"I've got nothing, Tim." one EMS tech said to the Paramedic guiding the tube in.  
"Norma?" Alex asked.

His wife, his beautiful bride, the mother of his children, his tiger was laying on the kitchen floor looking dead. A pool of blood was around her head and the techs were talking about her not breathing.  
"I've got it." the paramedic said

"Sheriff." Washington said when the deputy arrived next to Romero.

Alex looked from Norma to Washington.

"I've got the line in. Starting incubation." the EMT called.  
"Sheriff I have the boys outside. They're safe." Washington was saying.

Alex watched in horror as the EMTs was listening to Norma's chest with a stethoscope.  
"Air's going in. Pulse is weak."

"She's gonna crash again. Time to move her."

"If we move her before she's stabilized, it'll kill her. Give her a chance for her BP to go back up." the paramedic barked.

Alex couldn't breathe himself.  
"Sheriff." Washington was saying. The deputy pulling Alex away from the scene that was worse than his mother dying.

"She's not breathing on her own." Alex whispered. "Bill, she's not breathing on her own."

"They need to work. The boys need you." Washington was saying.

Alex felt himself almost stumble and fall as Washington pulled him out of the house and to the other parked police car.

"Sheriff." another deputy nodded. "The boys are fine, I've go them in the back."

"Good." Alex breathed.  
"The baby?" Washington asked. "Where's she?"

The other deputy shook his head.  
"What?" Alex asked. "What are you talking about?"

"Sheriff, your son Dylan called it in. Said they heard a fight in the house and saw a friend of yours named Allison hitting their mother with a pan. That she took the baby. She took Mrs. Romero's car and the infant." the deputy said.  
"What?" Alex breathed. "She took my daughter?"

Washington let go of Romero.  
"Sheriff." he said calmly. "You remember when you installed the lo-jack in your wife's car? You told me not to tell her. You wanted to joke with her by knowing where he car was at all times?"

"Yes." Alex said numbly. He didn't understand what Washington was saying. It was like he was speaking another language.

"If she took the Mercedes, we can track her. This is good news, Sheriff. I'm going to call this in. You go talk to the boys and make sure they're okay." Washington ordered.

Alex looked from Washington to the house.

"Norma can't breathe." he said at last.

"The paramedics are taking care of her, I'm taking care of the missing baby and you take care of the boys." Washington said.

Except it was more like an order. Romero, oddly comforted by someone else being in charge for once, was thankful.

"Dad!" Dylan cried as soon as Alex opened the back door to the patrol car.  
Alex knelt down and his two sons rushed to hug him.  
"Dad?" Norma cried. "Mother... was bleeding in her head and in her nose."

"I know… I saw." Alex said as calmly as he could. "I saw. She's going to be okay. She has the best people looking after her."

He looked from Norman to Dylan. Both boys had her eyes. The brothers wearing the same expression of fear and looking to him for comfort.

"You both did the right thing. You called for help. I'm very proud of you." he said swallowing hard.

"That lady took Charlotte." Norman cried.

"Charlotte is going to be fine. You know that." Alex said. "So will your mom."

He felt like he was lying to the boys, and they could tell he was being less than honest.

"Allison said she was getting her baby back from the people who stole it." Norman said.

"What?" Alex asked. He looked over his younger son carefully. "What are you talking about, Norman?"

"Allison told me a secret." Norman cried. He looked miserable but held on to Romero's jacket like it was a life line.

"What? What did she tell you?" Alex demanded. It had started to rain again but Alex, and the boys, were impervious to the downpour.

"She… she told me… she said that she had a baby and it was stolen from her. That she has to pretend to be nice to the bad… the bad people that took it so she could get it back. That she was going to go home and… and that she was going to prove to she wasn't lying. That she was going to get married." Norman cried.

"Sheriff!" Washington was shouting as the rain came down so heavy it felt like rocks.  
"Dad!" Dylan cried and the three men of the house turned to see the paramedics wheeling Norma out of the house. Her face almost complexity obscured by a breathing mask. Her eyes shut and her body limp.  
"Sheriff. We have a ping on Mrs. Romero's car. It's by the old creek bridge." Washington was shouting.  
"Boys, get in the car. I'm going to get your sister." Alex ordered.

Norman and Dylan didn't need to be told twice. They quickly obeyed Romero and jumped into the back seat of the car.

"Deputy, take them to the hospital and stay with them till I get there. Don't let them out of your sight." Romero ordered.

"Yes, Sheriff." the deputy who had arrived on the scene nodded.

"Washington, I'm assuming you called in a road block?" Romero asked.

"I did. They are on their way." Washington told him.

"Old Creek Bridge is in the middle of nowhere. She must have gotten turned around with the storm." Romero said.

Washington was following him back tot he SUV.

"Call in back up, but do not engage. She has an infant with her and suspect is mentally unstable." Romero said. He felt himself coming back as the ambulance pulled out of the front lawn. It's sirens screamed angrily into the night.  
"Who is this woman, Sheriff? This Allison person?" Washington asked.

"Someone I thought I knew." Romero sighed and drove away from the farm in the opposite direction as his wife.

~ The Old Creek Road was dangerous even in the best of conditions. The locals all knew to avoid it because the Old Creek Bridge was unstable and almost ready to fall apart. Every once in a while there was a suicide off the bridge. The body washing up miles down stream beaten to hell. The rain would make the creek swell into a river very quickly and there were rocks just below the bridge that turned the flowing water into a violent, but beautiful vortex. The rushing water, turned white from the sheer force, was hypnotic to see after a rain storm.

Wilson had even theorized that was why some jumped. That they were called into it like a siren song. Whatever the reason, no one ever survived the jump from Old Creek Bridge. Their bodies having been tossed about on those rocks until almost every bone was broken.

What a terrible way to die.

"Everyone stay back." Washington barked at the blockage that was keeping guard front and back of the bridge. Norma's green Mercedes was parked, at an odd angle at it's center. It's doors open and engine running, but Romero couldn't see anyone in the cab.  
"The baby?" Alex asked Deputy White.

"That crazy fucking bitch is on the bridge holding your little girl, Sheriff." White said bitterly. He was holding a shot gun, but looked disappointed he wouldn't be able to use it.

"Everyone stand down." Alex ordered. "No guns. That's my daughter out there."

Over the sound of the rushing creek, the vortex of water, rocks and power, Alex could hear Charlotte crying.

"I'm going to go and talk to her." Romero told Washington and White. "Everyone just stay calm."

"Yes, sir." his deputies said in unison.

The rickety bridge didn't like Romero's extra weight on top of the weight of the car. He was a little surprised the bridge could hold it up, but focused at the figure standing by the bridge's railing. The rain had stopped, but Allison was still soaking wet. She had Charlotte perched on the unusable railing with her. Both of them looking at the crushing water below.

Alex's heart broke when he saw his daughter's face. The baby had been screaming for a long time. Her little face, so much like Norma's just now, looked angry and terrified.

"Allison?" Romero said calmly.

The woman who gave birth to him started and turned to see him coming from behind.  
"You stay away from us!" she cried.

"Allison." Romero said and moved a little closer. "I need to take the baby home now."

"You said it wasn't real, Jeffery!" Allison spat. She violently pulled Charlotte off the railing and onto her hip. The infant's body looking like a rag doll from the brutality.

"It's real." Alex said and put his hands up when he saw the loaded 38 special in Allison's hand.

He had regretted giving Norma that gun. After Caleb had taken her, all he wanted to do was keep Norma safe from harm. So, against his better judgement, he had gotten Norma a gun and taught her how to use the damn thing. She turned out to be a better shot than he thought. She learned faster than most people he knew. Allison must have found it in the glovebox of Norma's car.

"Allison." Romero said keeping his hands up. "Now, it's not safe to use a gun next to a baby."

He tried to keep his voice calm, but inside, he never wanted to kill anyone more than he wanted to kill Allison Clark Dyson. Let her fall into the creek. Let her body be crushed by the rocks and water. She'd float up to the lake in a week or two like garbage.

His daughter wasn't going to go with her.

"Give me the baby." he said.

"See?" Allison nodded to Charlotte. "He's REAL, Jeffery! He's real. I told you I'd get pregnant and I did. You didn't believe me. You said those awful things about me. You lied about me and said I was crazy! That I made you. You said there was no baby and that you didn't love me. I **know** you love me Jeffery."

Alex didn't hesitate.

"Allison, I believe you now. You're right. That's our baby." he said with a false smile. It was the first time in his life he'd ever been able to fake a smile with ease.

"Let me see her." he said. "Let me hold her."

"It's a boy! His name is Anthony!" Allison hissed. "You told me I had been faking it. That I wasn't really pregnant. That you never loved me."

"I was wrong." Alex said quickly. "I was wrong and I'm sorry. I do love you. Just let me see him… and… and we can start over."

"You stayed with your wife after we made love!" Allison sobbed. She raised the 38 at Alex. The trajectory would hit him in the face if fired. Alex could feel the tension of his fellow cops raising guns on Allison. On his daughter.

Romero looked at his crying little girl.

"My wife is dead, Allison. You're all I have. You and Anthony are all I have now." he said.

Charlotte was trying to lean away from Allison's grasp and go to Romero.

"It's too late, Jeffery." Allison sniffed. "We can't be together. We can't have peace. Not in this life anyway."

"Allison." Romero said sternly. "Yes we can. We can be together. We can have peace."

He wanted this woman dead. He wanted his daughter in his arms and his wife mad as hell this ever happened. If Norma was mad, then she was still alive.

 _'God, what if she's dead? I can't go on without her. I'll die to. I'll fall apart._ ' he thought wildly. ' _What if I get killed tonight and Norma dies to? What will happen to the kids?'_

"Let's you and me... and our baby get into the car and we can go somewhere. All of us. We can be together. We can start over." he promised with a smile. It was easy to fake a smile when he was trying to save his daughter.

Allison appeared to think about his offer of starting over. Of a family, of togetherness and peace.

Charlotte was screaming and the rain was coming again.

"Let me see the baby. Let me have my baby." he pleaded.

Allison looked coldly back at him and raised the 38 to his face.

The shot that rang out over Old Creek Bridge brought the rain with it. The body falling over the riling struck rocks first before it was pulled into the vortex.

Despite a massive search over the next few weeks, the body was never found.


	157. Chapter 157

157.

~ The hospital waiting room was no place for kids. There was nothing to do but worry. Dylan was reminded of being in this same waiting room when Dad got shot. How everyone was scared and you could feel it in the air. There was thickness to the way the air tasted when everyone was afraid.

It had been better because mom had been there. She'd been scared to, but at least she was there with them. Now the two brothers were alone in the waiting room. Unsure if they would ever see their mother again.

The Deputy that had brought them here refused to leave them alone, but kept his distance. Everyone knew Dylan and Norman were the Sheriff's kids. Dylan had overheard one of the older Deputies telling a newer one that 'Sheriff Romero was the man in this town and not to question him'. The child feeling extremely proud of his dad at hearing how others respected him. It was a feeling he hadn't felt before they moved to White Pine Bay.

Before they came here, Dylan remembered only feeling the need to keep secrets all the time. That there were some things that could never be shared or understood by others.

Dylan looked over at his little brother, Norman. Maybe he should tell the kid a joke or something to make him laugh. If Norman would laugh, then these bad things would hold no power over them.

"Hey, Norman." Dylan said and poked his little brother in the arm. "Wanna hear a dirty joke?"

"No." Norman said pitifully.

"Come on, one of the big kids told it to me and it's really funny. Everyone laughed." Dylan said hopefully.

"Fine." Norman sighed.  
"Ok. Okay, so you know Miss. Watson? Blair's mom?" Dylan asked. Norman nodded. "Well, the other day, she got up, she washed her hair, blowed dried it, put hair spray in it, curled it, put bows in it and everything. Then, her boyfriend comes in and he says, 'hey honey, why'd you do all that? No one's gonna look down there.'"

Dylan looked hopefully at his little brother.  
"Oh." Norman said looking confused. "Oh, I… I get it." he said slowly. But he didn't laugh.

Dylan wasn't sure if he got it himself. The other boys thought it was very funny though. He wished Dad was there to explain it to him. If there was one thing there dad was good at, it was explaining things that they couldn't ask mom about. Their mom would have been upset they had been hearing dirty jokes at school. Dad would laugh and explain why it was funny and tell them not to repeat it to their mother.

There was a lot of things they had to keep from Mom. The fact Norman had kept a pet rabbit under his bed for a whole week, Dylan and his new friends passing around pictures of naked ladies in their club house.

Dad had said it was okay, but mom could never know. Dad had taken the rabbits out of Norman's room and built a hutch for them. He had told mom that Norman had been so responsible with the dogs that he could take care of rabbits to. Neither one of them knew about the lizards Norman was keeping in an old fish tank in his closet. Dylan wouldn't tell. Just like Norman would never tell about the naked lady book in the club house.

Dad had found out about that to. Said it was normal and not to worry. Dad had asked Dylan and Norman if they had any questions about women and to always go to him first.

Dylan would have to ask him to explain the hair joke once mom was okay.

Norman didn't like it when the other boys brought out the naked lady book. All the women were smiling and wore no clothes and Dylan's little brother didn't like to see them. The other kids laughed and asked if Norman was gay.  
"No, he just doesn't like seeing your mom's old pictures!" Dylan huffed at Jonny Founder.

That was enough to make the other boys stop their teasing.

"It's okay, Norman." Dylan had told him. "I didn't like seeing them that much either. I don't see what the big deal is."

"It's gross." Norman complained.

"Yeah. I think a real girlfriend will be better." Dylan offered up hopefully.

He thought about how he was meeting Emma Decody at her classroom every morning and after school. She had the biggest brown eyes he'd ever seen and he liked it how she was always wearing brightly colored sweaters and said his name when she saw him waiting for her.

"Hello, Dylan!" she would say and smile. She always carried a bright green lunch box and that was Dylan's new favorite color.

He would walk with her to mom's car and tell her that he was supposed to make sure she was okay. Mom always took her home to her dad's antique shop downtown. Dylan didn't mind looking after Emma. Mom had asked him to keep her company on her first day of school, but he found he had started to look forward to seeing her everyday on the ride to school, walking her to class and then out of class and the ride home.

Emma was such a serious girl sometimes. She could be just as serious as him. But she was also like being around sunshine. She was warm honey on oatmeal. Hot cocoa on a cold night. Emma was strawberries and powdered sugar on french toast. Just like mom made them.

When Dylan thought about Emma, he didn't think about the naked lady book. He didn't think of her like that at all. He only knew she made him think of good things.

"Is dad really going to get Charlotte back?" Norman asked. His younger brother interrupting Dylan's thoughts about Emma. How, when they were older like Mom and Dad, they would probably get married and build a little house by a lake. Emma said she wanted a house by the lake one day. They would do what married people do, and watch scary movies, eat ice-cream and stay up late together. Because thats what grown ups who were married did.

"Of course he's bringing Charlotte." Dylan scolded his brother.

"What if that mean woman hurts her like she hurt mother?" Norman asked.

"She won't." Dylan shook his head. "Charlotte's just a baby. You're not allowed to hurt a baby, dummy."

"You shouldn't be allowed to hurt our mother!" Norman cried.

Dylan put his arm around his little brother.

"It's okay, Norman. Shut up." he said soothingly. "Dad will be here any second and he's not going to want to see you crying. We're the Sheriff's kids."

"I want my mother." Norman said in a detached voice.  
"Mom's fine. She's in with the doctor. It's just like when Charlotte was born. She's gonna get her own room for a day or two and Dad will let us eat McDonalds at every meal and we can watch anything we want on TV. Remember? That was fun. We saw that zombie movie in black and white. It wasn't even scary." Dylan reminded him. "We just have to tell mom dad was feeding us right."

"Mom wasn't moving. She was on the floor." Norman said coldly.  
"She was just asleep." Dylan said. "The paramedics wouldn't have brought her to the hospital if she was dead. If she was dead they would have sent a different car to the house."

"What kind of car?" Norman asked.

"A **Horse** car." Dylan said. Not sure why a car would be named after a horse. Maybe because horses used to pull cars before cars were cars.

"What if mom dies?" Norman asked.

"She won't." Dylan said. "You don't remember this, but your real dad used to hurt mom a lot. Before mom married dad and he adopted us, Mom used to get hurt. She always was fine. She's not the kind of person who dies."

"Sybil died." Norman reminded him. "So did Michael."

"Pastor Danny said it was their time."

"What if it's mother's time? What if it's their time now?"  
"It's not."

"What if it is, Dylan?" Norman suddenly cried. "What are we going to do?"

"We're going to live with dad and he's going to take care of us. He's our dad now, remember? We agreed to be the Romero brothers? We have the same last name and we're his kids now."

Norman shook his head and Dylan could see tears swimming in his eyes.

"I'm so scared." Norman said at last.

In a rare display of affection, Dylan leaned in closer to his brother and hugged him.

"We're going to be fine." he told him. "Mom isn't going to die. She's going to be fine and she's going to find out about those lizards you have in your closet and yell a you."

Norman hugged his brother back.

"Mom's going to come home and make that turkey pot pie you like. She's going to make Charlotte laugh and tuck us into bed at night. Dad's going to check on us before they go to bed and tell us stories about when he was a kid if we're still awake. Mom's going to make our lunches for school and take us there in the old girl with Emma. Mom isn't going anywhere, Norman. She's never going to leave us." Dylan said.

He hoped he sounded convincing. Right now, he didn't believe it.


	158. Chapter 158

158.

~ "She looks good, Sheriff." Doctor Bloch said. The older doctor was shinning a light into Charlotte's blue eyes. Testing her pupil reaction. "Probably wouldn't hurt to take a nap. She's a little cranky. You're both very lucky deputy White was a former sharpshooter."

"I felt lucky catching her before that woman fell off the bridge." Alex admitted.

He had been worried about all the blood getting on Charlotte after Allison's head exploded from the gunshot. It was so fast, so oddly beautiful, he had thought it was just a puff of red smoke coming out of her temple. Her body sagging limply by the railing, Alex, keeping a watchful eye on Charlotte alone, had pulled his child out of Allison's arms before she fell.

It was like a well rehearsed dance between them. Romero would remember the look on Allison's face for years to come. The way her expression relaxed. He knew she wasn't in her body anymore when she toppled over the railing and into the river that was churning so violently. She had been killed instantly by White's impressive head shot.

Afraid of the bridge collapse, only Washington went out to collect the Sheriff and his howling daughter.

"She has blood on her." Romero said to his deputy. "She has that woman's blood on her."

"Let's take her to the hospital, Sheriff." Washington said.

Alex, somehow channeling Norma's obsessive nature wouldn't have his daughter in such a state.  
"Sheriff?" Washington asked when Romero popped the trunk of the old girl and found the emergency changing bag his wife kept there.

"She needs to be cleaned up. She's not going anywhere with that woman's blood on her." he told them.

Once they were safely off the bridge, Alex changed Charlotte in the back seat of Washington's SUV. No one questioning the father who almost lost his child just now. No one arguing with the Sheriff who might still lose his wife tonight.

Romero changed and re-dressed the baby to Norma's high standards. Charlotte's crying had calmed down once she was cleaned up and her father was there. He had inspected the infant for any wounds or signs of abuse.

"It's okay." he whispered when White drove Norma's car off the bridge and back on the road.

"Baby's car seat is in back. I'll drive you both to the hospital, Sheriff." White said. All the deputies around them had remained silent at near miss of an innocent child.  
"Thank you." Alex said and carefully lifted his daughter up, holding her close to him.

"Sheriff, I'm sorry." White said. "I know you said to stand down, but... she pulled out that 38 and held it to your face-"

"You did the right thing." Alex barked angrily. "She was ready to kill me."

"Well… I'm still sorry it had to happen." White said clumsily.

"Will, you drive? I want to be in back with her." Romero said nodding to Charlotte.

White nodded and Washington asked if there was anything he could do.  
"Call my emergency contact. Special Agent Charlotte Evans. She's with the FBI in California. She needs to come right away." Alex told him.

White had taken Romero and the baby to the hospital and they were checked out by none other than Doctor Bloch. The Sheriff feeling he'd come full circle in this horrible nightmare.

"I need to check on my wife. On the boys." Alex said weakly after he was assured Charlotte would be okay. His entire body felt exhausted and used up. He had nothing left to give, yet he kept going.

"You can leave the baby with one of the nurses here." Doctor Bloch said. "We can keep an eye on her."  
"No." Alex said darkly.

Bloch, sensing the Sheriff's tone was one of malice turned to him in surprise.

"I assure you, the nurses will take excellent care of your daughter, Alex." he said.

"I'm having a lot of trust issues with people just now. You may say I was born with them." Alex said. He picked Charlotte up, the baby instantly curling onto his chest. Happy to be in her father's arms again.

"What do you mean, son?" Doctor Bloch asked.

"I mean Allison Clark was the woman who kidnapped my daughter and who attacked my wife tonight." Romero barked. "Maybe you don't remember that name, Doctor, but she's the teenage girl you lied to about her own child dying. All so you could give me to a couple who was desperate for a baby of their own."

"Where do you get such crazy ideas?" Doctor Bloch laughed nervously.  
"Don't." Romero scolded. "Don't even try to lie. Sybil left evidence after she died. Did my dad pay you? Blackmail you maybe?"

Doctor Bloch's expression changed. It became darker and more menacing. As if the face Alex had always seen was just a mask. The small town's good doctor. Trusted with expectant mothers and babies for decades.

"That was how it started yes." Bloch admitted. "Back when I was drinking. I had a patient die because I was…" he shook his head. "Your father knew. He used it against me. You see, Alex, all your mother wanted was to have her own child and all your father wanted was for her to be happy. He loved her. I know it's hard to believe, but your father was the kind of man who would do anything for the woman he loved. He would lie, cheat, steal and kill for her."

Alex moved away from Bloch at this notion. It struck too close to home. He could see himself doing anything for Norma and he didn't want to compare himself to his father. Ever.

"The old bear told me to get a baby. To make it work. He was scared he was going to lose his wife. Then, out of nowhere, this girl shows up at the bus station. She was about to give birth any day and… we knew right away she wasn't right. Constantly talking to things that weren't there."

"Schizophrenia?" Alex asked. He held Charlotte closer. He didn't know enough about the mental disorder to not be afraid for his daughter. What if it was something he had passed down to her? What if Charlotte was doomed to be just like her grandmother?

"I don't know." Bloch said. "But Sybil and I came up with a plan… we did it to try and give you a better life. That's why."

"You're a kidnaper and you're going to prison." Romero said coldly.  
"Alex, you can't do this." Bloch said pitifully. "I did what I did to help you. It wasn't just because of the blackmail. Sybil and I both thought Theresa would be a good mother. We had no idea she would turn out like she did."

"Doctor, this isn't revenge. It's about justice. The FBI will be here soon and they will take over. You might want to get a lawyer." the Sheriff said.

Alex felt a slight stab of guilt. No matter what Sybil and Doctor Bloch had done, they had done it with the best of intentions. If Allison had been allowed to keep him, raise him, how different would his life have been with a crazy mother?

"I'm sorry." Romero sighed at last. "I have to go see my wife."

~ Alex carried Charlotte towards the waiting room that was for families of surgery patients. He spotted Dylan and Norman sitting quietly in the corner. The older brother resting his arm over his little brother's shoulder.

"Mom's probably gonna be in bed for a few days here at the hospital." Dylan was saying. "Maybe longer. Dad will let us eat fast-food and watch movies. Just until she comes home. It's going to be a lot of fun."

"What if mother dies?" Norman asked.

"You keep asking that and I already told you." Dylan scolded. "Mom's not going to die. She's been through a lot worse. Anyway, if she does die, Dad is going to take care of us."

"I don't want Mother to die." Norman sniffed.

"Boys." Romero said entering the room with the baby in his arms.

Dylan and Norman looked up at him and their faces lit up as if it was Christmas.  
"Dad! Dad!" they both shouted and rushed him. Romero hardly having time to kneel down to meet them. Charlotte not at all impressed with this attack of brothers, grabbed Norman's hair.

"Owe!" Norman shouted and pulled away from his combative sister.

"Dad, we were scared!" Dylan admitted. "We were scared we might be orphans."

"You're not going to be orphans." Alex said and tried his best to smile. The fake smile was little easier when he needed to comfort Dylan. Like it as with Charlotte, Alex could do anything for his kids. "If the worst happened, you would go live with Chuck. Remember?"

"Yeah." Norman said weakly. "What about mother?"

"We haven't heard anything yet." Dylan admitted.

"We just have to wait till the doctor tells us. I'm sure your mother will be fine." Alex said.

"That's what I keep telling him." Dylan said.

Romero looked thankfully between the two boys.

"I'm very proud of both of you." he said at last. "You called the ambulance for your mom and you were very brave."  
"We're the Sheriff's kids. We **have** to be brave." Norman said.

Romero felt a real smile tickle his mouth.

"You are the Sheriff's kids." he said.

"Is that woman going to come back?" Norman asked.

"No." Alex said. "No, she's never coming back."

"Who was she?" Dylan asked.  
Romero looked at Charlotte, but his daughter had already started to nod off in his arms.  
"She was nobody, son." he said at last.

~ Sheriff Romero had fallen asleep in the waiting room with Charlotte, Dylan and Norman. None of them willing to go home till they knew for sure Norma was going to make it. He had made crib of sorts for the baby by pushing two chairs together. The infant asleep as soon as she was curled into the baby blanket from her diaper bag. Dylan and Norman resting on each other for comfort in their chairs.

Alex woke up with a sore neck from sleeping sitting up and noticed Charlotte was missing from the little bed he had made. His heart beating wildly till he saw Chuck with his daughter on her lap.

"Oh, thank God." Romero sighed in relief.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Chuck smirked. "I must say, I can see why someone would want to kidnap this little angel. She gets even more beautiful overtime I see her."

Alex was glad to see Chuck had arrived at last. His best friend most likely using her FBI connections to get to them in just a few short hours.  
"I'm glad you're here." Romero admitted.

"Sounded serious." Chuck said and let her namesake play with her fingers. "You'll be happy to know Norma made it through emergency surgery with flying colors."

"What? The doctor's told you before they told us?" Romero snapped to attention.

"Yeah, I just held up my magic FBI badge and they sang like birds." Chuck grinned. "It seems there was bleeding in the brain and they went in to stop it. She had been in respiratory distress when the paramedics arrived, but once they got the tubes in her, she stabilized."

Chuck looked over the baby carefully.  
"I think she's hungry. She's eating more solids these days right?" she asked.

"Okay." Alex agreed. The list of people he trusted with his daughter was slim just now, but he trusted Chuck completely. "Is Norma awake?" he asked.

"Not yet." Chuck said. Her voice sad and sympathetic. "You'll need to brace yourself, Alex. She looks pretty bad, and she's still not out of the woods."

Romero felt slightly sick and was thankful the boys were still asleep.

"Thank you." he whispered to Chuck.

"Go talk to the nurse, she'll let you into see Norma. I'll take the baby and the boys home. Feed them and put them to bed. I don't think they should see their mom like this." she said. "Call me when you're ready for me to come get you."

Alex looked down the hall toward the nurses station.  
"It's going to be okay." Chuck said encouragingly.


	159. Chapter 159

159.

~ "There was bleeding in the brain, Sheriff. She had a seizure on the table and she required incubation in the field. None of those are good things, but she's in stable condition now." Doctor Forest explained. His deep, well practiced voice was comforting in it's certainly of Norma's condition.

Alex would forever remember Norma like this. The image of her in a medically induced coma would be something he could never shake off. In times when he felt intense guilt over not listening to Norma's concerns about Allison, he would remember this.

Everything about this moment would come rushing back when he wanted to remember it the least. The smell of the hospital room, the sounds of the machines beeping. Norma's fragile body laying in that hospital bed and not moving. Her head bandaged up and her face blackened from Allison's attack. The large tubes running out of her mouth and breathing for her.

"Is she going to live?" Alex whispered.

How would he tell the boys their mother was dead? How would he raise them without Norma? How could he raise Charlotte without a mother? Alex wasn't cut out to do this alone. He couldn't raise a daughter without a mother. It was impossible.

"She's made it this far." Doctor Forest said plainly. "We have to hope she'll pull through. Wait it out and pray."

"Will there be brain damage if she survives?" Alex asked. Images of Norma in some kind of helpless state flashed through his mind. What if she was a vegetable? What if she couldn't take care of herself or even use the bathroom by herself? What of she needed round the clock care because of what Allison did? Because he refused to listen. This was all his fault.

"We ran a CT scan and detected no trauma. Bleeding in the brain is complicated though. She might have damage we can't detect yet. However, people make recoveries from this type of injury all the time." Doctor Forest said.

"How long will she be out?" Alex asked. It worried him Norma hadn't so much as stirred with them talking so close by.  
"She's being kept sedated to detect any further bleeding. Sometime tomorrow if there have been no more seizures." Forest said.

"Can I… can I stay with her for a little while?" Alex asked.

Doctor Forest nodded.

"Take all the time you need, Sheriff." he said and left them alone.

Romero was afraid to approach his wife. He saw that the medical staff had removed her wedding ring when she went into surgery. There was an impressive tan line on her ring finger where the now missing jewelry had once been. He felt ashamed of himself for letting this happen to her. He should have known something wasn't right with Allison. The way she talked to Norma. The way she shamed her in every possible way.

"I'm so sorry." Alex whispered. He looked sadly down at Norma's bruised face. The doctor had explained it was only on blow to the head, but it had been enough to do horrific damage. Deputy Washington explaining that they found a cooking pan on the floor with blood on it. They suspected the heavy blunt object had been used to beat Norma half to death.

It was worse than Sam, worse than Caleb or her parents. Allison was an insidious intruder that he had welcomed into their home and refused to see for what she was. At least Sam and Caleb were obvious monsters. Ray and Frannie Calhoun to were very clearly the last people in the world to be trusted.

Allison had fooled him. Her fine manners, elegant speech and his need for a parental connection had clouded his ability to read the truth about her.

"I should have listened to you." he sighed and took Norma's hand. Her skin was like ice and her hand was limp an unresponsive to his touch.  
"Baby, please come back to me." He started to cry.

He hadn't really cried since his mother died. He had been raised that men don't cry. Ever. But he couldn't help the ugly swell of emotion and loss that rose up in him now.

"Please, just come back to us. Whatever you want, I'll do it." he sniffed and leaned in closer to her. The tubing around her mouth and the gauze around her head made it difficult to see her face. To smell her skin or be comforted in some way that this was really his wife.

Alex allowed himself to weep silently before the shame of his tears made him stop.

"Norma, I… I uh… just need you to come back, Okay? We need you. The boys… Charlotte… me." he sniffed and adjusted her blankets to cover her body a little better. "If you don't come back, I'm going to have to feed the kids TV dinners and McDonalds. We're going to watch questionable scary movies with a lot of violence and sexual situations."

He thought it was little funny and allowed himself to smile.

Instantly, his tiger flashed into his mind. He could see Norma, plain as day. Her face beautiful and smiling as she spoke to him.  
"You wouldn't dare." she challenged with a grin.  
"Yes, I would." he said and ran his fingers over his sleeping wife's hand.

"Alex, I won't have that." she warned. But her smile was evident that they were only teasing.

"Well, I guess you're going to have to come home." he said.

"I'll think about it." she sighed.

"No, don't think about it." he shook his head. "Just come back to me. If I'm not allowed to die, then neither are you."

"Maybe this was always meant to be. Maybe this is how it was always supposed to play out." she offered. "Maybe I'm not supposed to make it and this is how our story ends."

"No." he said defiantly. "No, Norma. Our story ends with us in a nursing home and you nagging me about something. We're bickering in rocking chairs and the kids visit us… the grandkids… the great grand kids."

"I forgot about the grandkids." Norma said dreamily.

"Grandkids will need to know their grandmother." Alex sniffed. He wished the real Norma could talk to him just now. He wanted to hear her voice so badly. He wanted her to squeeze his hand and not let go.

"I think this is how our story ends, Sheriff." the Norma in his mind confessed wearily. "We tried so hard to save each other. From the very beginning, we tried to protect each other from some kind of horrible monster that we couldn't see. I think it was always meant to be like this. I think I was always meant to leave."

"No." Alex said.  
"Alex, don't be stubborn!" Norma huffed. He could see his imaginary tiger looking annoyed. "You're the most stubborn man I've ever know."

"No, I'm not."

"See? You see what I mean?" she laughed.

"Well, just come back to me, Mrs. Romero, and we can argue all day long about this. You can obsess about me not eating right. I know how much you love to do that." he offered. "Don't forget, we have to tell Norman we know about the lizards he's keeping in his closet. We we're going to hide them and make him think they all escaped into the house. It was going to be really funny. You don't want to miss it."

He felt the Norma in his mind suddenly leave him. She vanished like smoke and he was alone with the shell of the woman he loved. A machine doing her breathing for her.

"Norma." he sighed. "Just hold my hand for a little while. That's all I need to make it though the night. I can go home and tell the boys, tell our daughter, that their mom is going to be alright. Just hold my hand and I promise I won't let go if you don't."

He felt it then. Felt Norma's grip on his hand become strong and deliberate. He looked up at her bruised face and saw her eyes flutter slightly and close again. Her grip remaining strong for a few seconds before she let go.

The machines were still chirping with a steady rhythm that showed her pulse and blood pressure were normal. Her breathing still regulated by the big machine in the corner. Alex held her hand firmly in his, but she didn't squeeze his hand again. One sign was all he had asked for, and all she could give.

"Thank you." he sighed and leaned in to kiss the small part on her cheek that wasn't bruised or obscured by tubing.

~ It had been a hard thing to leave Norma like that. To go home and see the way the house looked after crime scene had collected evidence.

Alex checked on the boys who were both asleep in their beds. Charlotte was in the guest room with Chuck. His old friend had pulled the baby's crib next to her bed so they would be close.

Romero peered down at his sleeping daughter. She was so unbearably beautiful in the moonlight that shone through the window.

"Your mom's going to be just fine." he whispered to the baby.

~ Alex needed to be away from home right now. He trusted Chuck with the kids, even if she was planning to teach them the noble art of archery that afternoon. Romero's safe place, a place where he felt strong and in control was always at work. He had a meeting with an Agent Spencer later that day about Doctor Bloch and what had to be done about it. It was going to be an ugly, scandalous mess, but he figured he had survived worse. If anything, this would be good. Maybe he would finally be free to the Old Bear once and for all. No one would ever compare him to the former Sheriff Romero again.

Clarice, Washington and White were shocked to see him walking towards his office.

"Sheriff you're on mandatory family leave." Clarice said worriedly.

"Maybe you should call someone about that." Alex snapped.

"Sheriff Romero?" came a professional sounding voice the Sheriff recognized but couldn't put a face to.

He turned to see a well groomed older man waiting for him the lobby of the Sheriff's station.

"Do I know you?" Alex asked.

"No, we spoke on the phone yesterday." the white haired man in a nice suit said. He offered his hand and Alex shook it. "I'm Bill Dyson. I'm Allison Dyson's husband. I'm sorry for all trouble, but I'm here to take her home."


	160. Chapter 160

160.

~ Alex looked around the front office to see Clarice and the rest of the staff members were suddenly very busy and couldn't make eye contact.

"Has no one spoken to you about your wife yet, Mr. Dyson?" Romero asked.

"No." Bill Dyson explained calmly. His face seemed serene and was neither sad nor upset. "I've brought her medication with me. As well as plane tickets home. I hope there hasn't been any incident too troubling, Sheriff. I'm very grateful we were able to find her at all."

"Mr. Dyson, why don't you come with me into my office?" Romero said soberly.

~ "Would you like some coffee or water?" the Sheriff asked his visitor. Norma had gotten Alex a new coffee maker that was a little to complex for him to use on a daily basis. It was perfect for guests to his office though. The Sheriff, like the rest of his office liked their coffee to be black, bitter and in large doses. He couldn't force himself to appreciate gourmet things.

"Oh, no thank you." Bill Dyson said. "I have a very pleasant breakfast at the local inn a block away. Sheriff, when can I see my wife?"

"Mr. Dyson." Romero sighed and leaned on his desk. He glanced at the picture of him and Norma on their wedding day at city hall. His beautiful bride and her ever charming smile looked like something out of a fairytale just now.

"Mr. Dyson, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but Allison Dyson fell of the Old Creek Bridge last night. She's gone, sir." Romero said as gently as he could.

"Oh." Mr. Dyson said. His voice a little somber, but showed no real emotion. It was as if someone had told him dinner plans with friends had been cancelled.

"I see." the older man added.

"I have crews on a search for her body now-"

"Fell or jumped?" Mr. Dyson asked.

"Sorry?"

"Did she fall or did she jump? She's made threats before. I'm only asking because my children will want to know about their mother." he explained.

"Actually, sir." Romero said carefully. "She was shot. She was shot and fell of the bridge."

Mr. Dyson scowled a little. Not understanding what this news meant.  
"Mr. Dyson, you said you wife had been researching me? When we spoke over the phone you found evidence she was trying to make contact with me?" Romero asked.

"Yes." Mr. Dyson said at last.  
"She made contact." the Sheriff said curtly. "She beat my wife half to death with a cooking pan. She ripped my daughter from her mother's arms and drove her out to that bridge and was planning to jump. I tried to talk her down, but she pulled a gun out. She did it twice before my deputy short her in the head. My daughter was saved from falling over the bridge, but Allison was most likely dead before she hit the water."

Romero's description of the events of last night were cold and factual. Still, Bill Dyson didn't flinch.  
"I understand." he said at last. "Your wife? How is she?" he asked.

"She's in a medically induced coma to prevent brain damage." Alex said in a voice that barely restrained anger. "My daughter is barely six months old and was almost killed. My sons are only eight and six and they had to find their mother like that and call for help."

"It's very distressing." Bill Dyson said.

"This is beyond distressing, sir." Romero snapped. "My wife might still die. My children might not have a mother because your wife went off her meds."

"Sheriff, my lawyers will be in touch." Bill Dyson said and stood up.

Alex knew then that this man wouldn't give him anything now. He wouldn't admit any liability that could cost him in a potential lawsuit.

"Did Allison tell you that I was her son?" Alex said just as Mr. Dyson was about to open the door.

The older man paused and turned to the Sheriff.

"Allison had no other children. Just Mark and Gillian.

"She never told you how she had a baby at sixteen? She thought he had died but he was adopted. I found out the truth and made contact with her. That was why she came here. Why she went off her medication." Romero said.

Mr. Dyson looked troubled and finally there was a look of sadness in his eyes.

"Look, I'm not looking to blame you, sir." Romero admitted. "But I have a daughter. Her name is Charlotte and I need to know if what was wrong with Allison is genetic. If I need to worry about her."

"I worry about my own children all the time." Mr. Dyson admitted. "If one day they will turn into monsters. I can't tell you how hard it is living with such fear. That one day the child you loved so well will turn on you.

"What was wrong with Allison?" Alex asked desperately. "You said she killed her teacher Jeffery Hayden. I have reason to believe he was my real father."

"Allison…" Bill sighed. "She was lovely when she wasn't so confused. I didn't discover her illness till long after we were married. She always hid it very well. It wasn't until we were expecting our first child that she went off her meds for the sake of the baby. Then I learned what she really was."

"What was that?" Alex asked.

"Heartless." Bill explained. "You see, Sheriff, a true psychopath has absolutely no remorse for their victims. They feel that they were the wronged ones and that they are above those that they hurt. Kind of like a vet putting a dog to sleep who's unwanted or in pain. I know that sounds awful, but it's true. Allison felt absolutely no remorse for killing Jeffery Hayden. In her mind… she believed she did the world a service. That he deserved to die because he had wronged her."

"They had an affair. He was an adult, she was just fifteen." Romero offered.  
"No. That's not how it happened." Bill said uncomfortably.

Alex didn't understand.  
"Jeffery Hayden testified in court that his student had come over to his home, uninvited, during spring break and…" Mr. Dyson seemed to be having difficulty telling the story. "Well, he claimed she drugged him. She kept him drugged for several days and… that… she did things to him. All while he was in a chemically restrained state."

Alex blinked and tried to make this make sense.

"Jeffery went to the hospital as soon as he came out of it. They found heavy doses of horse tranquilizer in his system. He tried to tell the police that Allison had sexually assaulted him, but they believed a teenage girl couldn't have raped a man. There was evidence of her being in his house all over the place. Jeffery served one year for sexual battery of a minor. A lawyer exonerated him and Jeffery was freed. He met a lovely young woman and they had a son named Damien. When Allison found out, she flew into a rage. She was in college at the time, but she tracked down where he lived, and set fire to the family home. She took the baby from his crib before the fire got out of control. When they found her with him, she was halfway across the country. Claimed she was taking him to see his father." Bill explained.

"Why…" Alex breathed. "Why didn't she serve real time? Double murder and kidnapping across state lines?"  
"She wasn't in her right mind. Her parents had money. Pick one." Bill said hotly. "I met her after she had been released from a private mental facility. She was so fragile. Like a little bird. We just… we just agreed to look after each other." Bill explained.

"What was her official diagnosis?" Alex sighed.

"There were several." Bill admitted. "Mental illness is complicated. As for your daughter, Sheriff, I doubt if this kind of thing is genetic. Allison was mentally abused by her parents. She was raised by housekeepers and was an only child. A perfect upbringing for a psychopath."

The older man looked around the room, spotted the Sheriff's wedding picture, the smaller photo of Charlotte sticking her tongue out and the framed snap shot of the boys in their tent with the dogs.

"You have a nice looking family, Sheriff." he said at last. "It looks like a happy home. I'm so sorry this happened to you."

"So am I." Alex agreed hatefully. He wished he had never learned the truth. Wished he had never heard of Allison Clark Dyson. Now he understood why Norma kept this from him.

"You know, as much as I loved her…" Bill said sadly. His eyes sparkling with tears. "It is a relief that she's gone. I won't have to worry about her anymore. I won't have to worry about her dark moods. About what she might do to the children. We're free."

Alex didn't have anything to say to this.

Both men turned when there was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Alex barked. Washington entered and nodded to the Sheriff.

"Sir. A word?" he said.

"Excuse me." Romero nodded to his visitor and stood up.

Washington wouldn't have bothered him unless it was serious.

"The kids?" Alex asked worriedly as soon as he was alone in the hallway with Washington.  
"They're fine. Your friend Agent Evens just checked in. Said they miss their mom but are fine." Washington told him.

"What is it then? I'm speaking to Allison Dyson's husband right now. I had to tell him one of my deputies killed his wife." Alex snapped.

"Sir." Washington said calmly. "It's Doctor Bloch."

"What about him?" Alex asked. In all the worry about Norma and the surprise of finding Mr. Dyson at his office, Romero had complexity forgotten about Doctor Bloch's part in all of this.

"He's dead, sir." Washington said. "Hung himself off the grand stairwell in his home. Just after he poisoned his wife. She had dementia and was going to be in a nursing home before too much longer."

Alex could only hear white noise. Doctor Bloch had killed his wife and then himself. The trusted doctor was dead because Alex had threatened to expose the kidnapping he'd been apart of. A kidnapping that had certainly been for the best, done with the best of intentions and hope for the future, but at it's core was malicious and cruel.

"Detective Chambers is here. She wants to talk to you." Washington said.

"Why?" Romero breathed. His pulse speeding up. Detective Chambers was the same state police officer who wanted to arrest Norma for murder in the Summers house massacre.

"It seems Doctor Bloch left a note. Has your name all over it." Washington said.

Alex shook his head.

"I never wanted this." Alex sighed and leaned against the wall. "I can't believe this is happening."

"You have to tell Detective Chambers the truth. Every bit of it." Washington said.

Alex nodded. He knew he couldn't try to cover anything up or save face now. A shooting and a murder suicide within 24 hours, all with strong ties to him. He would be investigated for sure.

"Mrs. Dyson's husband is in my office. Can you finish talking to him? Answer any questions?" Alex asked.

Washington nodded.  
"Deputy." Romero said. "It's possible, it's certain, I'll be temporarily relieved of duty while the investigation takes place. I'm going to recommend you be my replacement."

Washington looked unsure but nodded.

"Yes, sir." he said.  
"Deputy White's shooting of Mrs. Dyson was justified. There were a dozen witnesses. He'll be fine." Alex explained.

He felt light headed.

"Mrs. Dyson had a long history of mental illness and her husband even told me she had kidnapped a child before." Alex said.

"Sheriff are you okay?" Washington asked.

"Yes. I'm going to go talk to Detective Chambers. I'm going to tell her everything." Alex said.  
"Maybe I should call your FBI friend. Your union rep?" Washing asked.

"I'll be fine." Alex said. "The worse they can do is fire me."

"It's not the worst they can do, Sheriff and we both know it." Washington told him.

 **Okay so there was no coffin or funeral in this chapter. I just wanted to foreshadow a death.**


	161. Chapter 161

161.

~ Alex didn't want to go home. Not after being raked over the coals and put on a five day suspension pending a formal investigation into Doctor Bloch death and Romero's involvement.

Detective Chambers had been at the meeting. She refused to disclose the exact content of Bloch's suicide note. Only that Sheriff Alex Romero was mentioned. She had asked about Allison and the fatal shooting on the old creek bridge. Alex had explained as plainly as he was able, his relationship with Allison. How, after Sybil died, he discovered he had been illegally adopted by Sheriff and Theresa Romero when he was a newborn. How Allison was just a teenager and was lied to by Bloch and Sybil so they could provide the Romero's with a long awaited baby. That he had found his birth mother easily and met with her. That she had come to White Pine Bay to get to know him and his family better. How he had discovered she suffered from mental health issues only after Allison had kidnapped his daughter and nearly killed his wife Norma.

Romero didn't miss Mayor George Helden's hateful look at the mention of Norma being so seriously hurt.

Naturally the mayor, county commissioner and a few city council members were present for the deposition. Alex wondered if George had visited Norma in the hospital and if that was why the Mayor was glaring at him so harshly now.

"Thank you, Sheriff." Mayor Helden said briskly. "We will need to investigate more on our end before we finalize our decision. For now, it's five days suspension with pay and no loss of benefits or pension."

Romero felt the air leave the room. He had never been suspended before. Something like this went on your record forever.

Outwardly, Sheriff Romero was calm and detached.

"Thank you." he said and left the city council chambers.

~ He returned to his office, changed into the street clothes Norma had always kept at the ready for him, and removed the family pictures from his desk. He told Washington what was happening and that he was taking some much needed family time.

"That will be the story." Washington agreed. "Go see your wife."

~ Romero didn't need to be told twice. He was glad to have a quite refuge in Norma's hospital room. His bride sleeping in her oversized hospital bed with machines pushing air into her lungs. The beeping of her monitors regulating her blood pressure, but still she showed no signs of wanting to wake up.

Alex didn't question it. He wanted more than anything to go to sleep next to her right now. It had been hard to sleep at home without her. Without her warm body next to him. Her feet kicking him slightly and hogging the covers. How he could roll over and pull her close to him. How they would enjoy their own special time in the morning with just themselves and the baby between them. It was the best part of Alex's day until he got to curl up next to her again.

"They gave me a week off work." he told his sleeping wife. Norma's eyes moved back and forth under her closed eyelids. She was dreaming. The complex and frighting tubes covered her mouth and forced her lungs to work.

"I think it's best. This way I can look after the kids. Look after you." he said soberly. "Chuck is here. She's with them."

He looked up at his wife. Her body sitting upright so she could breathe easier. Her hand relaxed but squeezed his when he held it.

"I miss you, Norma." he sighed.

~ Maybe he had been more exhausted than he thought. He hadn't realized he had fallen asleep next to her. The sounds of her machines were hypnotic and soothing. Or, maybe it was just being next to her helped him sleep at last.

In that land of dreams he found he was at the Lights of Winter Festival. It was a beautiful annual tradition celebrating the day Sybil's grandfather had brought electricity to White Pine Bay for the first time. It had been a Christmas present for the town at the time and provided an excuse to celebrate with a festival.

It was always one of Alex's favorite celebrations. There was hot drinks spiced with whisky, funnel cake and despite it being freezing, things were always cozy.

He spotted his bride wandering through all the attractions. She hadn't seen him yet, but surely she must have known how beautiful she looked.

She was wearing a long, dove grey coat and her hair was swept up so elegantly. She carelessly twirled one of the novelty lighted umbrellas they sold only at festival time. The kind of useless item that was only fun to buy and have this one day a year.

The lights from the umbrella, from all over the festival seemed to make her glow with a beautiful radiance. When she spotted him, she suppressed a little smile.  
"I didn't think you'd be here." she said.

"You look beautiful." he said.

"You always say that." she reminded him.

"It's true."

"Even in the real world? I'm sure I look awful." she sighed.

He couldn't stop smiling as he looked over her enchanted face.

"No, you always look beautiful." he told her honestly.

She looked appeased by this. Her grin becoming a cat like smirk.

"Can we get some funnel cake, Sheriff?" she asked.

"Sure." he smiled and let her thread her gloved hand through his arm. "I've got the hook up." he teased and felt her lean her head on his shoulder as they wandered around the booths.

~ It felt like a beautiful date night. The brisk child in the air, Norma claiming to be cold and that was the only reason she was staying so close to him.

He bought her funnel cake and hot cocoa. Her eyes sparking delightfully as they drank the hot liquid.

"Feeling warmer, Mrs. Sheriff?" he asked playfully.

"Much better." she agreed but still wanted to be close to him.

Alex noticed how the lights of the festival made her almost luminous just now. He had never seen her look more lovely.

"Do you want to go dancing?" he asked. Unable to take his eyes off his bride.

Norma shyly looked away from him, embarrassed he was giving her so much attention and spotted the open dance platform.

"I'm not much of a dancer, Alex." she admitted.

"It's a slow dance. All we have to do is sway." he promised.

"Alright, big shot." she said with an amused grin.

How easy it was to hold her close to him. It was like she was made to be in his arms; they were a perfect fit. He could feel her body despite the layers of warm clothing they both had to wear. Feel the curves of her as they moved so close together.

She seemed shy at the way he was looking at her. His focus only on her to the point she was actually blushing and trying not to smile.

"You remember that first night we met?" he asked nostalgically. "You had the boys at the station and you thought the world was coming to an end."

"Yeah, it felt like that." she huffed humorlessly.  
"The way you looked after Norman and Dylan." he reminded her. "I thought you were such a good mother."

"Alex." she said weakly.

"I know I never say it enough, but, I think your a wonderful wife and mother. I couldn't pick anyone else I would want to have a child with. Our little Charlotte is very lucky." he said.

Norma looked like she might cry.

"It's okay." he whispered. "We've come a long way since that night haven't we? Everything turned out alright."

"You think so?" she asked worriedly. "Do you think we're going to be alright?"

She was so lovely and her body felt so perfect and heavenly in his arms he couldn't imagine terrible things coming between them.  
"Yeah." he grinned like a school boy. "Yeah, I do."

Norma blushed slightly and refused to look at him. That little smile on her face wanting to bloom under his watch.

"You know that this isn't real, Sheriff." she sighed. Her lovely blue eyes, the same color blue as Charlotte's, were shinny with tears.

"Maybe." he said and coaxed her into a playful spin. His bride finally able to smile fully.

"Maybe we can just stay here." he offered. "Maybe it's the only place we can really find peace."

"We can't live here forever." she whispered. Her chest pressing close to his chest. Their lips almost touching with a need for contact.

"This place isn't real and the kids need you, Sheriff." she told him sadly.  
"Norma, I'm not leaving here without you." he told her cooly.

She gave him an amused look and he shrugged.

"We'll both just have to stay here then." he smiled. "Because I can't be without you."

"Fine." she sighed. "You're so bossy."

He was smiling as a cold wind washed over them and the lights faded around them.

Alex didn't remember the next few dreams he had. Only some annoying bird was pecking at his ear and mouth. He tried to swat it way before it slapped him gently on the face.

"What the hell?" he groaned and woke up in a hospital room.

It was already dark out and he didn't know where he was at first glance. A hand slapped at his face again and he sat up to see his wife was in her hospital bed. Her fierce blue eyes were glaring daggers at him. If she hadn't had the tubing in her mouth to help her breathe, she would certainly have been reading him the riot act.

"Baby?" he whispered in a hopeful note.

His hands found hers and he stated to kiss her fingers.  
"You're awake." he cried with tears of happiness.


	162. Chapter 162

162.

~ "Norma?" Alex asked when the nurse checked her vitals before the tube removal that would allow his wife to breathe on her own and talk.

She glanced at him briefly before looking back at the nurse. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of sapphire he had never seen before. They were an unnatural color of brilliant blue. Almost like a gem that had been set on fire. Beautiful, but terrifying.

"Norma, you're going to be fine" Alex assured her. He kept her hand clasped in his as the doctor strolled in as if he were walking in the park.

"I see we're awake." he said cheerfully. "How are you, Alex?"

"Can we stay focused on my wife, Harry?" Romero said curtly. As was the situation in all of White Pine Bay, Alex had gone to school with Harry Wilkie. Romero seldom found it comforting to be surrounded by people he'd known since infancy. People who had know his parents and grandparents. Who had seen his awkward years and knew all about him. He'd always felt so detached from this community and didn't enjoy the fact everyone knew him. When word got out about who Allison really was, the gossip would never stop.

"Of course." Harry said cheerfully. "We did another CT scan this morning and there was no more bleeding. The fact you woke up on your own is very good."

The doctor was speaking to Norma now. The tubing obscuring her mouth and nose kept her silent. She stared hatefully back at Doctor Wilkie with her blazing eyes. The spark in them seeming almost dangerous to Alex.

"Let's get this tubing out." Doctor Wilkie said after reading the chart. "Norma, I need you to stay calm, this might be slightly uncomfortable."

Alex watched the nurse take out hospital restraints start to clasp down Norma's hands. His bride's eyes growing wide with panic at having her hands tied down.

"What are you doing?" Romero demanded.

"Alex, when you have anything to do with breathing, people start to panic." Wilkie explained effortlessly. "I can't have Mrs. Romero here start to fight us when she can't breathe right away. It's only till we get the tube out. We'll get the restraints off as soon as she's breathing normally."

"Norma, it's going to be okay." Alex assured his wife. Norma's eyes flicked to him worriedly. Those sapphires, those two brilliant gems, still gleamed with an unknown force.

"Ready?" Wilkie asked and he detached the main tubing.

Alarms went off and Wilkie was quickly, but calmly pulling the snake like tube out of Norma's throat. She gaged and coughed and started to gasp for air.  
"Norma?" Alex called and his hands tried to reach for her. The doctor and nurse blocking him and all he could do was hold her feet as she tried to search for air.

It was agony to watch. Her lungs giving off almost a death rattle as she tried to breathe.

"Norma, stay calm. Relax… breathe in through your nose." Wilkie prompted.

"Do something!" Alex demanded. His wife was going to suffocate right here while he watched.

"In through your nose, Norma." Wilkie ordered.

Suddenly, like a light had bee switched, Norma's body relaxed and she appeared to be breathing normally again. Her eyes swimming with unshed tears as the alarms around her stopped and the beeping of her heart rate returned to normal.

A nurse laced tubing around her ears and into her nose so she could receive more oxygen until she felt better. Then she undid the hospital restraints so Norma could be have her hands back.  
"Very good, Mrs. Romero." Wilkie said honestly. His voice was kind as he listened to her heartbeat through a stethoscope. "I'm very impressed. You should know my associates and I feel you'll make a complete recovery. No more antics for a while though, understand? Doctor's orders. You've been very lucky the past few years. Let's not press it."

Norma gave him a slight smile, but it was tired and weak.

"Try not to talk too much. Your throat is still sore." he said and looked at Romero. "We're going to remove the head bandages tomorrow. Then she'll be free to go home."

"So soon?" Alex asked in surprise.

"Unless you need her to stay here." Wilkie said.

"No. I just… want to make sure she's going to be okay." Romero said.

"I'll come back when I'm on my next set of rounds." he promised. "She'll need to have eaten something today and kept it down. I'd like it if she could walk a little before the day's over, Nurse." he said to the nurse who was writing down Norma's vitals.  
"Yes, doctor." the nurse said and quickly left the room.  
"Norma." Alex sighed in relief and went to his wife's bedside. She looked at him with her fire blue eyes and her expressions soured.

"Who… are you?" she gasped.

Alex leaned away from her. He felt like he'd fallen into a lake of ice water. All the warmth and comfort leaving his body.  
"Mrs. Romero?" Doctor Wilkie questioned.  
"Norma?" Alex said weakly.

Norma shook her head and glared a her husband.  
"I'm… just kidding." she gasped. Her voice raspy and almost like a pant. "I might… not get another chance… to do that and you… believe me."

It seemed like she was using all her energy to speak right now.  
"No more talking, Mrs. Romeo." Doctor Wilkie said. "But that was a very good trick. I can't wait to tell everyone."

Doctor Wilkie glanced at Alex with an amused expression.  
"I like your wife, Alex." he said.

"Thanks, Harry." Romero said in annoyance.

"She seems like she's good for you."

"She is."

"Mrs. Romero, before you leave I'll have to stop by and tell you all about this one here." he nodded to Alex. "I have a lot of stories from when we were kids."

Norma gave Doctor Wilkie a thumbs up and her husband a knowing look.

As soon as they were alone Alex felt his own breathing return to normal.  
"Cruel woman." he whispered and leaned in to kiss her lips.

Norma smiled weakly and made a gesture of rocking a baby.  
"Charlotte is fine. She and the boys are with Chuck at home. Allison didn't hurt her at all and we used the lo-jack on your car to find them." he assured her.

Norma look annoyed.

"That woman, Allison is dead." Alex told her. He couldn't tell his wife the whole complicated truth. Not now anyway. "She… she committed suicide off the old creek bridge when she saw she couldn't get away."

Norma looked shocked.

"Her husband was here today and he said she had a long history mental issues and had gone off her medication." he explained.

His wife looked angry. Her sapphire eyes burning him.

"Norma, I'm so sorry I didn't believe you. That I couldn't see her for what she was. I wanted her to be the mother I never had. I should have listened to you." he said. He could feel a swell of emotion rise up in him. His vision blurring at the sight of his poor wife in this hospital bed.

"She… took my baby… right out of my arms… Alex." Norma gasped in a raspy voice.

"I know. It will never happen again." Romero promised. "We can leave this town. We can move someplace safer. We can even go to another state if you want. California to be near Chuck, or even Hawaii."

Norma looked skeptical.  
"Wherever you want. I'll go wherever you want." he promised. "Please, this town can go to hell for all I care. We can leave and start over. Sell the farm, I don't care. My home is with you. Wherever you are, that's where I want to be."

She looked at him curiously but remained silent. Norma's hands gently cupped his face as those brilliant blue eyes examined him as if she was capable of magic. She leaned in close to him and whispered.

"You're the only home... I've ever wanted, Alex."

 **I grew up in a small town here in Texas, and I find it very comforting to see people I went to school with on a near daily basis. I keep up with most of them through Facebook but I think Alex would secretly hate having to see the people he knew as a kid everyday as an adult.**


	163. Chapter 163

163.

~ Norma carefully inspected her ring now that it had safely been returned to her finger. When she noticed it was missing, it became everyone's problem. She had felt naked and almost unfaithful to her husband without it on her finger. Almost as if the decoration, once removed, meant they were no longer married.

"They took it right off my finger." Norma complained for the hundredth time that morning.  
"I know." Alex sighed and helped his wife put on a sweater. She was being discharged that morning and it was cold out.

"Some nurse or Paramedic took it right off my finger while I was laying there unconscious." she said again.  
"Norma, your ring is right there. It's on your finger. It's fine." he said. This was going to be his entire day. He just knew it.  
"Alex, that's not the point. Someone just took my ring off my finger. I feel so violated!" Norma insisted.  
"You had to go to emergency surgery, Norma." Alex told her calmly. "They had to remove your jewelry."

"A pair of earrings is jewelry." Norma spat. "There was no need to take my ring off. It's **my** ring. It's **my** wedding ring. I **love** this ring, I was never happier than when you gave me this ring." she said hatefully.

"Never happier? What about when we got married?" he laughed. "Or when I adopted the boys? What about the first time we made love?"  
"No!" Norma exclaimed as if he had lost his mind.

She noticed Alex was trying hard not to smile.

"We need to find a gypsy and have her curse anyone who takes this ring off." Norma told her husband.

"So, you don't want Dylan or Norman to give it to their future brides?" Alex asked and laced his fingers through Norma's.

"No!" Norma spat childishly. "When I die, I want to be buried in this ring, Alex."

"We're not allowed to talk about dying, Norma." he said in a stern voice.

Norma knew he didn't like the idea of almost losing her. It had been terrifying to wake up in the hospital with tubes down her throat. She couldn't swallow, let alone talk. The panic was very real and she was afraid she might die from just the odd way she was being forced to breathe.

The only thing that gave her comfort was seeing her husband there beside her. He had looked so angelically handsome sleeping next to her hospital bed. Almost child like while he dreamed of less troublesome things. Norma didn't regret slapping him lightly on the face to wake him up.

A malicious part of her was thankful Allison was dead. That same part of her that was relived when she realized Sam was dead. It was terrible to rejoice at someone dying, but she couldn't help it. This woman had hurt her, very badly if the doctor was right, and taken her baby right out of her arms. What kind of a monster did something like that?

"Has the city council members called you?" Norma asked. Alex had let it slip yesterday that he had been put on suspension after Doctor Bloch had killed his wife and hung himself. Norma didn't need Alex to explain why the council would suspend their golden boy Sheriff. She knew it was Doctor Bloch who had helped create a lie that would haunt her husband for the rest of his life. Maybe Doctor Bloch couldn't take the guilt anymore. Maybe Alex had confronted him with the truth and he didn't want to go to jail. Whatever it was, it wasn't her husband's fault. He'd been the victim. Just as much as Alex's real father, Jeffery, had been victimized by Allison.

Her husband shook his head.

"I don't even care anymore." he sighed.

"What do you mean?" Norma questioned. "Of course you care."

"Maybe we should just leave, Norma." he told her. "Start over in a new town. A fresh start."

"Knock, knock!" came a sing song voice and Norma and Alex looked up to see Chuck holding her God daughter, Charlotte. Norma's daughter grinning happily as she spotted her mother.

"Charlotte!" Norma sighed and felt her heart skip a beat at finally seeing her baby again. She had been so worried, despite Alex's assurances that their daughter was fine.

Norma held out her arms for her daughter and Chuck dutifully let the infant curl into her mother's embrace.

"Oh! I missed you, precious." Norma cried softly and took her time in smelling her daughter's hair and clothes. Feeling her skin and her perfect fingers. She looked over her child's black hair and brilliant blue eyes. Charlotte content to being examined and didn't protest.

"She's a good baby." Chuck told her as if Norma didn't know this already. "Hardly woke up all night.  
"She started sleeping through the night?" Norma asked.

"Maybe it was being away from you." Alex offered.

Norma looked at Charlotte as if the baby had become too independent in her absence. Next thing she knew, Charlotte would be driving.

"Where are the boys?" Norma asked.  
"I gave them some money for the soda machine." Chuck said. "They're just around the corner. How's your head?"

Norma absentmindedly ran a hand over the scar on the side of her head. A nurse had graciously pinned her hair down to cover the frighting looking stitches that the surgery had left behind. Norma tried no to think about how half her head was shaven and how she must look like a monster just now.

"I'll be better when the stitches come out and my hair grows back a little." Norma admitted.

"Battle scars." Chuck said soberly. "Wear them with pride, Norma. You survived a horrible experience. Protecting your baby and everything. Total bad ass."

"I don't feel like much of a bad ass." Norma admitted.

"No, it's mine!" Norman was insisting as the boys came noisily into their mother's hospital room. "Give it back, Dylan!"

"Boys, stop fighting." Norma told her sons. The boys only pausing their argument long enough to give their mother a hug and kiss.  
"I'm glad you're okay, mom." Dylan said and refused to let Norman have his grape soda.

"Thank you for calling the ambulance." Norma said.

"I just stayed calm and assessed the situation. That the victim needed medical attention." Dylan said carefully.

Norma looked at Alex.  
"Dylan received a special award from the mayor's office." her husband explained. "He's going to a junior deputy camp next summer."

"He's going to be out of the house all summer?" Norma questioned. "That's great! Can Norman go to?"

"Mother!" Norman looked horrified.

Her youngest son seemed to recover from her slight though, because he punched Dylan in the shoulder and complained about not sharing.  
"Norman, Dylan has little league practice in a few months. Don't punch his throwing arm." Alex scolded. "Go for the legs like I showed you."

"Okay." Norma sighed and kicked his brother hard in the shins.  
"Owe!" Dylan complained.

"Good, job." Alex said.

"Are we ready to leave?" Chuck asked and took the baby back from Norma.

"Very much so." Mrs. Romero said happily.

~ "Why are we stopping here?" Alex asked. They had left the other's in Lucy and walked the few yards to the peaceful little headstone.

He felt uncomfortable here in a place Norma visited so often alone. She'd left little trinkets at the stone. Things to decorate a garden with. Proof she was there and still cared enough to think of him.

"Because our son is here, Alex." Norma said gently and righted a small glass figurine that had toppled over with the last storm.

Romero looked away from the ornate headstone Norma had selected for Michael. His name and a single date, only a few months ago now, still seemed too new for him.

"Our son is here and so is your mother." Norman said and nodded to Theresa Romero's headstone beside Michael's.  
"She's not my mother." Alex said.

"Alex, she loved you. You can't say she didn't love you." Norma whispered. "You were her son and who you were born to doesn't matter. It doesn't change her love for you and it shouldn't change your love for her."

He shook his head. Unwilling to feel anything for the woman who would steal a baby.

"You know, down that road, is the house I used to live in with the boys." Norma said fondly. She nodded to Pine Valley Lane. Alex remembered always finding an excuse to drive there.

"I always loved seeing your police SUV pull up. I always felt safe knowing you were there. I always wanted you to stay." she admitted.

Alex smiled at their shared memory.

"About four miles that way is the old highway." she nodded in the opposite direction. "That's where you and I first met."

"Yeah." he agreed.

"You pulled us over and I was so scared you were going to arrest me to." she coaxed.

"No, I missed that opportunity." he teased.

"Downtown is where you took me on our first date night in Lucy." she sighed and leaned on his shoulder. "Also where you almost hit Dylan with the Sheriff's truck."

"Dylan almost drowned in the bay." Alex remembered.

"You almost kissed me for the first time that day." she teased.

"Yeah." he felt himself blush.

"You asked me to marry you in the barn." she reminded him.

"We had that big rainstorm and the power went out." he said.

"That was nice." she smiled. "Alex, we can't just leave all this. I know it feels easy to walk away, but this is our home. Our lives together started here. For better or worse, it's here that we belong. It's here that our story plays out."  
Romero let out a long sigh.  
"Our son is here." he nodded to the headstone with _Micheal Thomas Romero_ carved into it.

"Exactly." Norma told him.

"You visit him a lot?" he asked. He hadn't been back to see Michael's grave since the funeral.

"As much as I can." she said. "I bring Charlotte with me."

"What do you do?" he asked. The pain of his lost child felt sharp, even now.

"I tell him about everything. About his sister and his brothers. How much we all miss him. About how wonderful his dad is." she said.

"His dad who's probably going to get fired by the city." Alex said bitterly.  
"You know that's not going to happen." Norman told him.

"I should be here with you more often." he said.

"Only if you want to. Only if we're staying." she said.

Alex let out a long sigh. As much as he felt annoyance and loathing for this place, he couldn't leave it. All his happy memories were here. His roots ran too deep.

"We're staying." he admitted.

~ It was cold outside and the winds were trying to rip open the shutters that Alex had closed with the approaching storm. But the old farm house was still strong and securely built. It wouldn't blow away this century.

"Who was on the phone?" Norma asked and looked over the baby book she had been working on for Charlotte.

"George." Alex said bitterly.

Norma looked up at him in surprise.  
"What did he say?" she asked.

"Seems my suspension has been lifted and he thanked me for my cooperation in this matter. That the investigation is closed and they found no wrong doing on my part." Alex told her sourly and climbed into bed next to his wife.

"That's great."

"Yes. It seems, Bloch's suicide note was a full confession and apology to me for all the pain he'd caused." Alex admitted.  
"Does it help? Knowing he was sorry?" Norma asked.

"No." Alex admitted. "I with I hadn't told him I knew. I wish I hadn't told him I would go to the FBI."

"I'm sorry. But I'm glad you're Sheriff again. I like being Mrs. Sheriff."

"Hmm."  
"What is it?" she asked in annoyance.

"George asked about you." he said.

"Well, Alex, I did have brain surgery." she said and finished the detailed log about Charlotte sleeping through the night. She was happy she had saved Norman's and Dylan's baby books. Glad she had packed them with her when they were forced to come to White Pine Bay. She didn't have much from her past before this place. The baby books, some old pictures in an envelope. Her mother's blue ribbon from a high school dance. A battered musical jewelry box with a twirling ballerina in blue. These were all the things Norma had saved from her life before this place. Objects she wouldn't even look at for years at a time. When she did, they always mad her a little sad.

"You know there's nothing between George and I, right?" she told her husband.

"I know, but he still wants you." Alex grumbled. "Turns out I'm the jealous type."

"It's kinda sexy." Norma whispered and set the baby book aside on her night stand.

"Control yourself, Mrs. Romero." Alex scolded. "Harry said no fooling around for at least a week. You have to have another CT scan."

"You wanna hear all the funny stories Harry told me about you?" Norma grinned.

"No."

"Tell me more about you being the jealous type." Norma whispered and kissed his cheek.

Alex wasn't falling for it.

"Time to go to bed, Mrs. Romero." he ordered.

She seemed pleased she had aroused his interest enough to cause discomfort and rolled over on her side. Her husband's arms wrapping warmly around her. That feeling of being safe and protected with Sheriff Alex Romero washed over her.  
"We're going to be okay, right?" she asked after the lights went out and the rain started to pound the farm house's old roof.

"Yeah, we're going to be fine." Alex said in her ear. The feel of his warm breath made her breathing pick up slightly.

"We're together." she said. "As long as we're together nothing bad can happen."

"Nothing bad can happen, Mrs. Romero." he said sleepily. "As long as we're together."

 **This isn't the end. Just a hiatus from this story. I feel like now is a good time to take a break from it. 163 days of writing is exhausting! Who knew?**

 **So much has happened to me in the real world to. Losing my dad, his estate, family, work, buying a new home, trying to find my faith again, starting a new chapter in my life. It's been a lot to deal with.**

 **I will tell you in the second part of this story Zac Shelby will be back. So will Emma, George, Keith Summers, Blair Watson, Nick Ford, and even Rebecca. We will solve some mysteries and some new original characters will be presented.**

 **When we return to this story, some time will have passed. Dylan, Norman and even Charlotte's POV will be present and not just Norma and Alex's POV.**

 **My goal for this story was to SAVE this family. To make them a real family so that Norma and Norman could be saved from the fate of season 4. That Dylan would become an honorable young man and Norman would be a nice, normal person.**

 **More importantly, that Alex and Norma would be saved to. That Norma wouldn't be the neurotic mess we see in season 1-3. That Alex wouldn't sell out to Bob Paris or anyone else. That he wouldn't have to be so heartless and cold at times. That Norma would have saved him and vic-versa.**

 **I hope you enjoyed reading this. But I am glad to take a little break. This is the biggest story I've ever done and I'm exhausted. I've been writing on fan fiction for over five years now and I love it. Not for review or attention, but because I have a story burning in me that wants to get out.**

 **I was very unhappy with how season 4 ended and I wanted to fix it.**

 **Love to you all for your support.**

 **Leah**


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